Commentaries:
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Proverbs 14:8
True wisdom is skill in living, carrying with it the ability to judge present circumstances with a view of future success. The prudent person consciously follows truth. He deliberately chooses the right and thus does not walk on blindly.
Folly is senselessness, silliness, or irrationality. Why? Because the person deceiving is himself deceived. He does not realize his deceit will also crush him! What profit is in this sin? God has taken particular pains to impress upon us that it will boomerang and catch the perpetrator.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Ninth Commandment (1997)Related Topics: Folly as Irrationality | Folly as Senselessness | Folly as Silliness | Irrationality | Senselessness | Silliness | Sin Boomerangs | Sin Catches the Perpetrator | Sin will find you out | Wisdom as Skill | Wisdom as Skill in Living | Your Sin will Find You Out
Proverbs 14:8
The wise, prudent person follows truth. He consciously weighs his options and deliberately chooses not to twist the truth. He does not walk on blindly, leaving things to the chance that his deceit will not be discovered. True wisdom is the ability to judge present circumstances with the view of future success. Truth is always ultimately successful.
Conversely, folly means "foolishness, senselessness, idiocy, brainlessness, silliness, and irrationality." Why is a person's folly senseless? Because the one senselessly deceiving is himself deceived. As we might say, "He is shooting himself in the foot," not grasping the fact that he, too, will be crushed by his deceit.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Ninth CommandmentRelated Topics: Folly as Brainlessness | Folly as Foolishness | Folly as Irrationality | Folly as Self-Deceiving | Folly as Senselessness | Foolishness as Idiocy | Idiocy | Leaving things to Chance | Prudence | Self Deception | Shooting Oneself in Foot | Twisting the Truth | Walking Blindly | Wisdom | Wisdom as the Ability to Judge
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