When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom; and when a wise man is instructed, he acquires knowledge.
Parallel translations
- WEB When the mocker is punished, the simple gains wisdom. When the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.
- KJV When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise: and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge.
- ESV When a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise; when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.
- NKJV When the scoffer is punished, the simple is made wise; But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.
- NASB When the scoffer is punished, the naive becomes wise; But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.
- NLT If you punish a mocker, the simpleminded become wise; if you instruct the wise, they will be all the wiser.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Punishing a mocker teaches the simple, and instructing the wise increases their knowledge. It matters because both correction and teaching advance wisdom.
Overview
The naive learn caution by seeing the scoffer judged, while the wise grow simply by being taught (Proverbs 19:25; 9:9). The verse shows two ways wisdom spreads — through warning examples and direct instruction. The wise welcome correction, while the foolish must learn the hard way.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Prov 19:25Strike a mocker, and the simple will beware; rebuke the discerning man, and he will gain knowledge.
- Prov 18:15The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks it out.
- Prov 9:9Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning.
- Acts 5:5On hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died. And great fear came over all who heard what had happened.
- Deut 21:21Then all the men of his city will stone him to death. So you must purge the evil from among you, and all Israel will hear and be afraid.
- Prov 18:1He who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound judgment.
- Num 16:34At their cries, all the people of Israel who were around them fled, saying, “The earth may swallow us too!”
- 1 Cor 10:6–11These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil things as they did.
- Deut 13:11Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such a wicked thing among you.
- Ps 64:7–9But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be wounded.
- Heb 2:1–3We must pay closer attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
- Prov 1:5let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel
- Acts 5:11–14And great fear came over the whole church and all who heard about these events.
- Heb 10:28–29Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
- Rev 11:13And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand were killed in the quake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
- Prov 15:14A discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 21:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.