Proverbs 14 · Verse 7

Proverbs 14:7

Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.
Proverbs 14:7, King James Version

Proverbs 14:7 in other translations

BSBStay away from a foolish man; you will gain no knowledge from his speech.
WEBStay away from a foolish man, for you won’t find knowledge on his lips.
ASVGo into the presence of a foolish man, And thou shalt not perceive in him the lips of knowledge.
YLTGo from before a foolish man, Or thou hast not known the lips of knowledge.
DARBYGo from the presence of a foolish man, in whom thou perceivest not the lips of knowledge.
BBEGo away from the foolish man, for you will not see the lips of knowledge.
WebsterGo from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.

What does Proverbs 14:7 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
7. Avoid the society of those who cannot teach you.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 7 When thou perceivest not - the lips of knowledge - Instead of דעת daath, knowledge, several MSS. have שקר sheker, a lie. How this reading came I cannot conjecture. The meaning of the adage is plain: Never associate with a vain, empty fellow, when thou perceivest he can neither convey nor receive instruction.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
We discover a wicked man if there is no savour of piety in his discourse.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Proverbs 14:7 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

לֵ֣ךְlekhgoH1980
מִ֭נֶּגֶדMi.ne.gedfrom beforeH5048
לְאִ֣ישׁle.'Ishto a personH376
כְּסִ֑ילke.Sila foolH3684
וּבַל\־u.val-and notH1077
יָ֝דַ֗עְתָּya.Da'.tayou have knownH3045
שִׂפְתֵי\־sif.tei-lips ofH8193
דָֽעַת\׃Da.'atknowledgeH1847

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Proverbs 14:7

  • Proverbs 13:20

    He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

  • Ephesians 5:11

    And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

  • 1 Corinthians 5:11

    But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

  • Proverbs 9:6

    Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

  • Proverbs 19:27

    Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
9:6; 13:20; 19:27; 1Co 5:11; Eph 5:11

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Proverbs 14:6

    A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.

  • Proverbs 14:7

    Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.

  • Proverbs 14:8

    The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.

Read all of Proverbs 14

Proverbs 14:7 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Vete de delante del hombre necio, porque en él no advertirás labios de ciencia.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Éloigne-toi de la présence de l’homme insensé, chez qui tu n’as pas aperçu des lèvres de connaissance.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Geh hinweg von einem törichten Manne und bei wem du nicht Lippen der Erkenntnis merkst.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Vade contra virum stultum, et nescit labia prudentiæ.