Proverbs 8:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

NIV: To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

NASB: The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride, arrogance, the evil way, And the perverted mouth, I hate.

CSB: To fear the Lord is to hate evil. I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.

NLT: All who fear the Lord will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech.

KJV: The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

NKJV: The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.

Scripture notes that "fear" of God is a crucial aspect of wisdom and learning (Proverbs 1:7). The term "fear," as used in this expression, is not about abject terror or panic. Rather, fear of God involves a submissive, respectful honor. There can be a sense of apprehension—much as one can have a healthy "fear" of things like fire or machinery—but not a cowering fright. This verse supplies another piece of context for understanding what "the fear of the LORD" really means. At its core, this perspective means recognizing God's holiness and goodness, and pursuing it. It means hating and rejecting whatever is opposed to Him.

Fear of the Lord causes His people to hate evil. This includes a rejection of pride, arrogance, and corrupt speech. Sin is not simply a mistake. It is a horrendous offense against God. We should not tolerate sin in our lives; we should hate it as God does. The apostle John encourages us in 1 John 1:9 to confess our sins. "Confess" means to say the same thing about sin that God says about it: to have same attitude toward sin that He has. Our hatred of sin intensifies if we reflect on the fact that Christ suffered misery and death because of our sin (1 Corinthians 15:3).

If we fear the Lord, we will also hate pride and arrogance. These immoral attitudes marked Lucifer's rebellion against God. Isaiah 14:12–14 records his arrogant scheme to push God off His throne and take possession of it. Lucifer said, "I will make myself like the Most High" (Isaiah 14:14). His proud intention was marked by corrupt speech, and Jesus identified him as "a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44).

In this passage, wisdom is once again imagined as a woman who cries out to be heard (Proverbs 1:20–21). Wisdom extols her own truth and value. Wisdom was part of God's creative power long before even the creation of the universe. The chapter again returns to the many benefits of godly wisdom, before completing those declarations at the start of the next chapter.

Thus far in Proverbs, Solomon has spoken about the virtues of wisdom and the need to acquire it and live by it. He has also warned about the dangers of rejecting wisdom. Chapter 7 ended with a description of a promiscuous woman seducing a foolish young man. Now, in chapter 8, he lets wisdom speak, once again personified as a woman. She speaks about her existence before creation and her gift of life to all who find her. This analogy continues into chapter 9.

Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom” is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.