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Friday, January 10th, 2025
Friday after Epiphany
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Read the Bible

New Century Version

Proverbs 18:1

Unfriendly people are selfish and hate all good sense.

Bible Study Resources

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Intermeddle;   Proverbs, Book of;  

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.
Geneva Bible (1587)
For the desire thereof hee will separate himselfe to seeke it, and occupie himselfe in all wisdome.
Christian Standard Bible®
One who isolates himself pursues selfish desires;
Hebrew Names Version
An unfriendly man pursues selfishness, And defies all sound judgment.
Easy-to-Read Version
Some people like to do things their own way, and they get upset when people give them advice.
Amplified Bible
He who [willfully] separates himself [from God and man] seeks his own desire, He quarrels against all sound wisdom.
American Standard Version
He that separateth himself seeketh his own desire, And rageth against all sound wisdom.
Contemporary English Version
It's selfish and stupid to think only of yourself and to sneer at people who have sense.
Complete Jewish Bible
He who separates himself indulges his desires and shows contempt for sound advice of any kind.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
He that separateth himself seeketh his own desire, and snarlest against all sound wisdom.
King James Version (1611)
Through desire a man hauing separated himselfe, seeketh and intermedleth with all wisedome.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
A man who wishes to separate from friends seeks excuses; but at all times he will be liable to reproach.
English Revised Version
He that separateth himself seeketh his own desire, and rageth against all sound wisdom.
Berean Standard Bible
He who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound judgment.
Lexham English Bible
He who is selfish seeks a craving; against all sound judgment he shows contempt.
Literal Translation
He who separates himself seeks his own desire, he breaks out against all sound wisdom.
New English Translation
One who has isolated himself seeks his own desires; he rejects all sound judgment.
New King James Version
A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment.
New Living Translation
Unfriendly people care only about themselves; they lash out at common sense.
New Life Bible
He who stays away from others cares only about himself. He argues against all good wisdom.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
A man seeketh, for satisfaction, going his own way, through all safe counsel, he breaketh.
Douay-Rheims Bible
He that hath a mind to depart from a friend, seeketh occasions: he shall ever be subject to reproach.
George Lamsa Translation
WHEN a man is inactive he imagines lust and mocks at good instruction.
Good News Translation
People who do not get along with others are interested only in themselves; they will disagree with what everyone else knows is right.
New American Standard Bible
One who separates himself seeks his own desire; He quarrels against all sound wisdom.
King James Version
Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Who so hath an earnest desire [to wysdome] he will sequester him selfe to seeke it, and occupie him selfe in all stedfastnesse & sounde doctrine.
New Revised Standard
The one who lives alone is self-indulgent, showing contempt for all who have sound judgment.
Darby Translation
He that separateth himself seeketh [his] pleasure, he is vehement against all sound wisdom.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
He that wole go a wei fro a frend, sekith occasiouns; in al tyme he schal be dispisable.
Young's Literal Translation
For [an object of] desire he who is separated doth seek, With all wisdom he intermeddleth.
World English Bible
An unfriendly man pursues selfishness, And defies all sound judgment.
Revised Standard Version
He who is estranged seeks pretexts to break out against all sound judgment.
Update Bible Version
He that separates himself seeks [his own] desire, And rages against all sound wisdom.
Webster's Bible Translation
Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh [and] intermeddleth with all wisdom.
Bible in Basic English
He who keeps himself separate for his private purpose goes against all good sense.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Who so hath pleasure to sowe discorde, piketh a quarell in euery thinge.
THE MESSAGE
Loners who care only for themselves spit on the common good.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He who separates himself seeks his own desire, He quarrels against all sound wisdom.
Legacy Standard Bible
He who separates himself seeks his own desire,He breaks out in dispute against all sound wisdom.

Contextual Overview

1 Unfriendly people are selfish and hate all good sense.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Through: etc. or, He that separateth himself seeketh, according to his desire and intermeddleth in every business. Exodus 33:16, Zechariah 7:3, Romans 1:1, 2 Corinthians 6:17, Jude 1:19

seeketh: Proverbs 2:1-6, Matthew 13:11, Matthew 13:44, Mark 4:11, Ephesians 5:15-17

intermeddleth: Proverbs 14:10, Proverbs 17:14, Proverbs 20:3, Proverbs 20:19, Proverbs 24:21, Proverbs 26:17, Isaiah 26:8, Isaiah 26:9, Jeremiah 15:17, Mark 1:35

Reciprocal: Numbers 6:2 - When Deuteronomy 14:6 - General Psalms 90:12 - that Psalms 111:2 - that have Psalms 119:45 - for I seek Psalms 119:97 - O how Proverbs 2:2 - thou Proverbs 2:10 - General Proverbs 3:13 - getteth Proverbs 4:5 - Get wisdom Proverbs 8:9 - General Proverbs 10:14 - lay Proverbs 12:1 - loveth Proverbs 21:11 - when the wise Ecclesiastes 1:13 - I gave Matthew 13:19 - and understandeth John 7:4 - there Colossians 3:16 - all

Cross-References

Genesis 12:7
The Lord appeared to Abram and said, "I will give this land to your descendants." So Abram built an altar there to the Lord , who had appeared to him.
Genesis 15:1
After these things happened, the Lord spoke his word to Abram in a vision: "Abram, don't be afraid. I will defend you, and I will give you a great reward."
Genesis 17:22
After God finished talking with Abraham, God rose and left him.
Genesis 18:1
Later, the Lord again appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre. Abraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the hottest part of the day.
Genesis 18:3
and said, "Sir, if you think well of me, please stay awhile with me, your servant.
Genesis 26:2
The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, "Don't go down to Egypt, but live in the land where I tell you to live.
Genesis 48:3
Then Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me there.
Exodus 4:1
Then Moses answered, "What if the people of Israel do not believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you'?"
2 Chronicles 1:7
That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."
Acts 7:2
Stephen answered, "Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to Abraham, our ancestor, in Mesopotamia before he lived in Haran.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Through desire a man having separated himself, seeketh,.... Or, "a separated man seeketh desire" g; his own desire, will, and pleasure. This is either to be understood in a good sense, of one that has a real and hearty desire after sound wisdom and knowledge, and seeks in the use of all proper means to attain it; and in order to which he separates himself from the world and the business of it, and retires to his study, and gives up himself to reading, meditation, and prayer; or goes abroad in search of it, as Aben Ezra: or of a vain man that affects singularity; and who, through a desire of gratifying that lust, separates himself, not only from God, as Jarchi interprets it, pursuing his evil imagination and the lust of his heart; and from his friends, as the Septuagint and Arabic versions; but from all men, like the Jews, who "please not God, and are contrary to all men"; so such a man sets himself to despise and contradict the sentiments and opinions of others, and to set up his own in opposition to them. This is true of the Pharisees among the Jews, who had their name from separating themselves from all others, having an high opinion of their own Wisdom and sanctify; and also of the Gnostics among the Christians, who boasted of their knowledge, and separated themselves from the Christian assemblies; and were sensual, not having the Spirit, being vainly puffed up with their fleshly mind;

[and] intermeddleth with all wisdom; the man who is desirous of being truly wise and knowing grasps at all wisdom, every branch of useful knowledge; would gladly learn something of every art and science worthy of regard; and he makes use of all means of improving himself therein; and covets the company and conversation of men of wisdom and knowledge, that he may attain to more; he intermingles himself with men of wisdom, as Aben Ezra interprets it, and walks and converses with them. Or if this is to be understood of a vain glorious person, the sense is, "he intermeddles" or "mingles himself with all business" h, as it may be rendered; he thrusts himself into affairs that do not concern him, and will pass his judgment on things he has nothing to do with; or he monopolizes all knowledge to himself, and will not allow any other to have any share with him. Jarchi interprets this clause thus,

"among wise men his reproach shall be made manifest;''

and observes, that their Rabbins explain it of Lot separating from Abraham, following the desires of his heart: but R. Saadiah Gaon better interprets it of an apostate from religion; that objects to everything solid and substantial, in a wrangling and contentious manner; and "shows his teeth" i at it, as Schultens, from the use of the Arabic word, renders it.

g So the Targum. h בכל תושיה יתגלע "immiscet se omni negotio", Munster; "omnibus quae sunt immiscet se", Junius & Tremellius. i "Et in omne solidum dentes destringei", Schultens.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The text and the marginal readings indicate the two chief constructions of this somewhat difficult verse. Other renderings are

(1) He who separateth himself from others seeks his own desire, and rushes forward against all wise counsel: a warning against self-will and the self-assertion which exults in differing from the received customs and opinions of mankind.

(2) he who separates himself (from the foolish, unlearned multitude) seeks his own desire (that which is worthy to be desired), and mingleth himself with all wisdom. So the Jewish commentators generally.

Between (1) blaming and (2) commending the life of isolation, the decision must be that (1) is most in harmony with the temper of the Book of Proverbs; but it is not strange that Pharisaism, in its very name, separating and self-exalting, should have adopted (2).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XVIII

The man who separates himself and seeks wisdom. The fool and

the wicked man. Deep wisdom. Contention of fools. The

talebearer and the slothful. The name of the Lord. Pride and

presumption because of riches. Hastiness of spirit. The wounded

spirit. The influence of gifts. The lot. The offended brother.

The influence of the tongue. A wife a good from God. The true

friend.

NOTES ON CHAP. XVIII

Verse Proverbs 18:1. Through desire a man, having separated himself — The original is difficult and obscure. The Vulgate, Septuagint, and Arabic, read as follows: "He who wishes to break with his friend, and seeks occasions or pretenses, shall at all times be worthy of blame."

My old MS. Bible translates, Occasioun seeketh that wil go awei fro a freend: at al tyme he schal ben wariable.

Coverdale thus: "Who so hath pleasure to sowe discorde, piketh a quarrel in every thinge."

Bible by Barker, 1615: "Fro the desire thereof he will separate himself to seeke it, and occupie himself in all wisdome." Which has in the margin the following note: "He that loveth wisdom will separate himself from all impediments, and give himself wholly to seek it."

The Hebrew: לתאוה יבקש נפרד בכל תושיה יתגלע lethaavah yebakkesh niphrad, bechol tushiyah yithgalla. The nearest translation to the words is perhaps the following: "He who is separated shall seek the desired thing, (i.e., the object of his desire,) and shall intermeddle (mingle himself) with all realities or all essential knowledge." He finds that he can make little progress in the investigation of Divine and natural things, if he have much to do with secular or trifling matters: he therefore separates himself as well from unprofitable pursuits as from frivolous company, and then enters into the spirit of his pursuit; is not satisfied with superficial observances, but examines the substance and essence, as far as possible, of those things which have been the objects of his desire. This appears to me the best meaning: the reader may judge for himself.


 
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