Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
Parallel translations
- WEB Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
- KJV Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.
- BSB Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
- NASB Do you see a person wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
- NLT There is more hope for fools than for people who think they are wise.
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
There is more hope for a fool than for someone wise in his own eyes. Self-conceit is worse than open folly.
Overview
This climactic verse of the fool section warns that pride which presumes its own wisdom is the most hopeless condition of all, since it cannot be taught. Such self-deception resists the very correction that brings life (Prov 3:7; Rom 12:16). The gospel calls instead for humble dependence on God's wisdom rather than our own (1 Cor 1:18-25).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- 1 Cor 3:18–19Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise.
- Prov 29:20Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
- Prov 26:5Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.
- Prov 28:11The rich man is wise in his own eyes; but the poor who has understanding sees through him.
- Rom 12:16Be of the same mind one toward another. Don’t set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Don’t be wise in your own conceits.
- Rev 3:17Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing;’ and don’t know that you are the wretched one, miserable, poor, blind, and naked;
- Luke 18:11The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: ‘God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortionists, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
- Prov 3:7Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear Yahweh, and depart from evil.
- Matt 21:31Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Most certainly I tell you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering into God’s Kingdom before you.
- Prov 26:16The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer with discretion.
- Luke 7:44Turning to the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered into your house, and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head.
- Prov 22:29Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve kings. He won’t serve obscure men.
- 2 Cor 8:1–2Moreover, brothers, we make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the assemblies of Macedonia;
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 26:12 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.