But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
Parallel translations
- WEB But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul. All those who hate me love death.”
- BSB But he who fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death.”
- NKJV But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate me love death.”
- NASB “But one who sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love death.”
- NLT But those who miss me injure themselves. All who hate me love death.”
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
Whoever sins against wisdom harms himself, and all who hate her love death. Rejecting wisdom is self-destruction.
Overview
The chapter closes with a sober warning: to reject wisdom is to wrong one's own soul, and to hate wisdom is, in effect, to love death. The two ways—life through wisdom and death through its rejection—frame the choice set before every hearer. This anticipates the gospel summons to choose life in Christ rather than perish (John 3:36).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Prov 15:32He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.
- Prov 1:31Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
- 1 Cor 16:22If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.
- John 15:23–24He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
- Prov 20:2The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.
- Prov 12:1Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.
- Heb 10:29Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
- Ezek 18:31Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
- John 3:19–20And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
- Prov 5:11–12And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,
- Prov 5:22–23His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
- Heb 2:3How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
- Acts 13:46Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
- Ezek 33:11Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
- Prov 21:6The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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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 8:36 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.