◄ Proverbs 13:1 ►
A wise son heeds his father's discipline, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke.
Study Bible
A wise son heeds his father’s discipline
This phrase emphasizes the importance of wisdom and obedience within the family structure. In ancient Israel, the family was the primary unit of education and moral instruction. Fathers were seen as the primary educators, responsible for imparting wisdom and discipline to their children. The term "wise son" suggests a person who values and seeks wisdom, aligning with the broader biblical theme that true wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10). The concept of discipline here is not merely punitive but instructional, aiming to guide the son in the way of righteousness. This aligns with the biblical principle found in Hebrews 12:5-11, where discipline is portrayed as a sign of God's love and a means of producing holiness.

but a mocker does not listen to rebuke
The term "mocker" refers to someone who is arrogant and dismissive of correction, often associated with foolishness in the wisdom literature. In the cultural context of the Bible, mockers were seen as those who rejected wisdom and instruction, leading to their downfall (Proverbs 1:22, 29-31). The refusal to listen to rebuke indicates a hardened heart and a rejection of authority, which is contrary to the biblical call to humility and teachability. This attitude is contrasted with the wise, who are open to correction and growth. The New Testament echoes this sentiment in James 1:19-21, encouraging believers to be quick to listen and slow to speak, highlighting the value of receiving correction.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Wise Son
Represents an individual who is prudent and discerning, willing to accept guidance and correction.

2. Father
Symbolizes authority and the source of wisdom and discipline, often representing God or parental figures.

3. Mocker
A person who scorns or ridicules wisdom and correction, often characterized by pride and foolishness.
Teaching Points
The Value of Wisdom
Embrace the wisdom that comes from accepting discipline. A wise person understands that correction is a pathway to growth and maturity.

The Role of Authority
Recognize and respect the role of authority figures, such as parents and spiritual leaders, who provide guidance and correction.

The Danger of Mockery
Avoid the attitude of a mocker, which leads to folly and destruction. Pride and refusal to listen can hinder personal and spiritual growth.

Listening to God’s Discipline
Just as a wise son listens to his father, believers should be attentive to God’s discipline, understanding it as an expression of His love and desire for our holiness.

Cultivating Humility
Develop a humble heart that is open to correction and willing to learn from mistakes, leading to a life of wisdom and righteousness.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the concept of a "wise son" in Proverbs 13:1 challenge you in your current relationships with authority figures?

2. In what ways can you cultivate a heart that is open to discipline and correction, both from God and from others?

3. Reflect on a time when you acted as a "mocker" by rejecting wise counsel. What were the consequences, and what did you learn from that experience?

4. How can the principles in Proverbs 13:1 be applied to your spiritual growth and relationship with God?

5. Consider the connection between Proverbs 13:1 and Hebrews 12:5-11. How does understanding God’s discipline as an act of love change your perspective on challenges and corrections in your life?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Proverbs 1:8-9
Emphasizes the importance of listening to parental instruction and the value it brings, similar to the wise son in Proverbs 13:1.

Hebrews 12:5-11
Discusses the discipline of the Lord as a sign of His love, paralleling the concept of a father’s discipline in Proverbs 13:1.

James 1:19-20
Encourages believers to be quick to listen and slow to speak, aligning with the attitude of a wise son who heeds discipline.
Sermons
General Truths of Health and SalvationE. Johnson Proverbs 13:1
The Heedless ScornerJ. Parker, D.D.Proverbs 13:1
The Teachable and Unteachable SonD. Thomas, D.D.Proverbs 13:1
The Wisdom of Docility, Etc.: a Sermon to the YoungW. Clarkson Proverbs 13:1, 13, 18
People
Solomon
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Accepts, Authority, Discipline, Doesn't, Ears, Father's, Haters, Heareth, Hears, Heeds, Instructed, Instruction, Listen, Listens, Lover, Mocker, Rebuke, Scoffer, Scorner, Sharp, Shut, Teaching, Wise
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Proverbs 13:1

     5165   listening
     5218   authority, in home
     5685   fathers, responsibilities
     8130   guidance, from godly people
     8351   teachableness
     8782   mockery

Library
The Tillage of the Poor
'Much food is in the tillage of the poor.'--PROVERBS xiii. 23. Palestine was a land of small peasant proprietors, and the institution of the Jubilee was intended to prevent the acquisition of large estates by any Israelite. The consequence, as intended, was a level of modest prosperity. It was 'the tillage of the poor,' the careful, diligent husbandry of the man who had only a little patch of land to look after, that filled the storehouses of the Holy Land. Hence the proverb of our text arose. It …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Poor Rich and the Rich Poor
'There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing; there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.'--PROVERBS xiii. 7. Two singularly-contrasted characters are set in opposition here. One, that of a man who lives like a millionaire and is a pauper; another, that of a man who lives like a pauper and is rich. The latter character, that of a man who hides and hoards his wealth, was, perhaps, more common in the days when this collection of Proverbs was put together, because in all ill-governed …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Practical Methods of Studying the Old Testament
[Sidenote: The various methods of approach] The Old Testament may be studied as literature, as history, as the record of an important stage in the evolution of religion, as the revelation of God to the race, or as a practical aid to the individual in living the true life. Each angle of approach calls for different methods and yields its correspondingly rich results. Studied in accordance with the canons of modern literary investigation, a literature is disclosed of surpassing variety, beauty, and …
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament

The Song of the Redeemed
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou ... hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation ... T he extent, variety, and order of the creation, proclaim the glory of God. He is likewise, ^* Maximus in Minimis . The smallest of the works, that we are capable of examining, such for instance as the eye or the wing of a little insect, the creature of a day, are stamped with an inimitable impression of His wisdom and power. Thus in His written Word, there …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

The Heavenly Footman; Or, a Description of the Man that Gets to Heaven:
TOGETHER WITH THE WAY HE RUNS IN, THE MARKS HE GOES BY; ALSO, SOME DIRECTIONS HOW TO RUN SO AS TO OBTAIN. 'And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain: escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.'--Genesis 19:17. London: Printed for John Marshall, at the Bible in Gracechurch Street, 1698. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. About forty years ago a gentleman, in whose company I had commenced my …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

"And this is his Commandment," &C.
1 John iii. 23.--"And this is his commandment," &c. There are different tempers of mind among men, some more smooth and pliable, others more refractory and froward. Some may be persuaded by love, who cannot be constrained by fear. With some a request will more prevail than a command. Others again are of a harsher disposition. Love and condescension doth rather embolden them, and therefore they must be restrained with the bridle of authority. It would seem that the Lord hath some regard to this in …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Second Sunday after Easter
Text: First Peter 2, 20-25. 20 For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted for it, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21 For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not; but committed …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

How is Christ, as the Life, to be Applied by a Soul that Misseth God's Favour and Countenance.
The sixth case, that we shall speak a little to, is a deadness, occasioned by the Lord's hiding of himself, who is their life, and "the fountain of life," Ps. xxxvi. 9, and "whose loving-kindness is better than life," Ps. lxiii. 3, and "in whose favour is their life," Ps. xxx. 5. A case, which the frequent complaints of the saints manifest to be rife enough, concerning which we shall, 1. Shew some of the consequences of the Lord's hiding his face, whereby the soul's case will appear. 2. Shew the …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

Opposition to Messiah Ruinous
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel T here is a species of the sublime in writing, which seems peculiar to the Scripture, and of which, properly, no subjects but those of divine revelation are capable, With us, things inconsiderable in themselves are elevated by splendid images, which give them an apparent importance beyond what they can justly claim. Thus the poet, when describing a battle among bees, by a judicious selection of epithets …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

"But if Ye have Bitter Envying and Strife in Your Hearts, Glory Not," &C.
James iii. 14.--"But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not," &c. It is a common evil of those who hear the gospel, that they are not delivered up to the mould and frame of religion that is holden out in it, but rather bring religion into a mould of their own invention. It was the special commendation of the Romans, that they obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine into which they were delivered, (Rom. vi. 17) that they who were once servants, or slaves of sin, had now …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"But Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God, and his Righteousness, and all These Things Shall be Added unto You. "
Matth. vi. 33.--"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." The perfection even of the most upright creature, speaks always some imperfection in comparison of God, who is most perfect. The heavens, the sun and moon, in respect of lower things here, how glorious do they appear, and without spot! But behold, they are not clean in God's sight! How far are the angels above us who dwell in clay! They appear to be a pure mass of light and …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
Having spoken of the general notion of blessedness, I come next to consider the subjects of this blessedness, and these our Saviour has deciphered to be the poor in spirit, the mourners, etc. But before I touch upon these, I shall attempt a little preface or paraphrase upon this sermon of the beatitudes. 1 Observe the divinity in this sermon, which goes beyond all philosophy. The philosophers use to say that one contrary expels another; but here one contrary begets another. Poverty is wont to expel …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Proverbs
Many specimens of the so-called Wisdom Literature are preserved for us in the book of Proverbs, for its contents are by no means confined to what we call proverbs. The first nine chapters constitute a continuous discourse, almost in the manner of a sermon; and of the last two chapters, ch. xxx. is largely made up of enigmas, and xxxi. is in part a description of the good housewife. All, however, are rightly subsumed under the idea of wisdom, which to the Hebrew had always moral relations. The Hebrew …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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