Wednesday, September 9, 2026 · Chapter 9
Know Who's Listening
Same words, two totally different results. Say the exact same true thing to two different guys and one hates you for it, the other one thanks you. The verse isn’t telling you to stop correcting people. It’s telling you to look at who you’re talking to first.
He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.
Proverbs 9:7
Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
Proverbs 9:8
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
Proverbs 9:9
IThe Hebrew, opened up
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scorner — not just a critic, a guy who mocks correction on purpose and enjoys it. Proverbs uses this word for someone past the point of being reached
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to reprove — to argue someone into seeing they’re wrong, straight to their face, so they can actually fix it
Lets isn’t just “someone who disagrees with you” — it’s a specific type: a guy who has made fun a habit, who meets correction with a sneer instead of a nod. Yakach is the real work of correction, not a gentle suggestion but laying the truth out plain so it can be argued and settled. The verse pairs them on purpose: the tool (yakach) is good, but it only works on the right target.
IIWhat this actually means
Stop burning yourself out trying to fix people who’ve already decided to mock you for trying. That’s not mercy, it’s just wasted breath, and the verse says it costs you shame, not credit. But don’t use that as an excuse to go quiet on everybody — a wise man, a just man, is worth every ounce of honest correction you can give him, because he’ll actually get wiser from it. Read the room before you open your mouth, then don’t hold back with the guy who’ll listen.
IIIObey it today
Think of the one person at work or in your life who mocks every piece of advice you give them. Today, stop giving it. Save the energy, be civil, and quit trying to win them over with one more explanation.
When someone corrects you today — your boss, your spouse, a text that stings — catch yourself before you get defensive. Just say “you’re right, thanks” out loud, then actually go fix the thing.
Pick one person today who’s actually teachable — a coworker, your kid, your spouse — and give them one honest piece of feedback you’ve been sitting on. Say it plain, not soft.
PrayerGod, help me see who’s actually listening today, and make me the kind of man who says thanks instead of getting defensive when I’m wrong.
Keep this in your chest
“Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.”
Proverbs 9:7-9