Warnings against refusal
So, in connection with the preceding section, we may take these words.
I. EVERY REFUSAL OF WISDOM IMPLIES THE PREFERENCE OF THE OPPOSITE. It implies that the associations of folly are more congenial than those of sound sense (Proverbs 9:6), which is a preference of death to life, in its effect.
II. THE SCOFFING HABIT IS AN INDICATION OF FOLLY. (Proverbs 9:7.) Under the general head of fools come scoffers and wicked men of every degree. The cynic may prefer to speak of evil men and actions as fools and folly—"worse than a crime, a blunder"—and he utters more truth in this than he intends.
III. THE SCOFFER IS ABUSIVE, AND THIS IS SIGNIFICANT OF HIS TEMPER. (Proverbs 9:7, Proverbs 9:8; comp. Exodus 5:16; Psalms 115:7.)
1. He neither has nor desires to have self-knowledge, and therefore hates the teacher who holds the mirror up to nature, and makes him see himself as he is.
2. He is the foil to the wise man, who is thankful for corrections, because he is set upon improvement and progress; and therefore loves the correcter, holding him creditor of his thanks, and recognizing the loyalty of the band which wounds.
3. The great distinction of the wise man from the fool is that the former has indefinite capacity of progress; the latter, qua fool, none.
4. As there is an indissoluble connection between folly and wickedness, so are wisdom and rectitude at one (Proverbs 9:9).—J.