Proverbs 26:12

Thou hast seen a man seem wise to himself; an unknowing man shall have hope more than he. (Thou hast seen a person who taketh himself to be wise; but a person without knowledge, yea, a fool, shall have more hope than him.)

Wycliffe Modern Spelling

In The King James Version

Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

In Context

11As a dog that turneth again to his spewing [or As an hound that turneth again to his vomit]; so is an unprudent man, that rehearseth his folly. (Like a dog that returneth to his vomit, is an imprudent person, who repeateth his own foolishness.)

13A slow man saith, A lion is in the way, a lioness is in the footpaths. (A lazy person saith, A lion is there on the way, a lioness is there on the footpaths!)

Read all of Proverbs 26

Cross References

Proverbs 12:15The way of a fool is rightful in his eyes; but he that is wise, heareth counsels, (or but he who is wise, listeneth to good advice).

Proverbs 26:5Answer thou (to) a fool after his folly, lest he seem to himself to be wise (or lest he thinketh himself to be wise).

Proverbs 28:11A rich man seemeth wise to himself; but a poor man prudent shall search him. (A rich person seemeth wise to himself; but a prudent poor person shall search him out, and find him wanting.)

Proverbs 29:20Thou hast seen a man swift to speak; folly shall be hoped more than his amending. (Thou hast seen a person quick to speak; more shall be hoped of from a fool, than for that person’s correction.)

Matthew 21:31Who of the twain did the father’s will? They say to him, The first. Jesus saith to them, Truly I say to you, for publicans and whores shall go before you into the kingdom of God. (Which of the two did the father’s will? They said to him, The first one. Then Jesus said to them, I tell you the truth, tax collectors and prostitutes now go ahead of you into the Kingdom of God.)

Luke 18:11And the Pharisee stood, and prayed by himself these things, and said, God, I do thankings to thee, (or God, I give thanks to thee), for I am not as other men, raveners, unjust, adulterers, as also this publican (is);

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 26:12

11 As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly. See here, 1. What an abominable thing sin is, and how hateful sometimes it is made to appear, even to the sinner himself. When his conscience is convinced, or he feels smart from his sin, he is sick of it, and vomits it up; he seems then to detest it and to be willing to part with it. It is in itself, and, first or last, will be to the sinner, more loathsome than the vomit of a dog, Ps. xxxvi. 2 . 2. How apt sinners are to relapse into it… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Proverbs 26:12