Proverbs 13 Bible study: A wise son listens

"A wise son listens to his father’s instruction, but a scoffer doesn’t listen to rebuke" (13:1) (tap wise, instruction, scoffer, rebuke). Here is what almost everyone misses: seven verses later the same three Hebrew words end another saying. "The ransom of a man’s life is his riches, but the poor hear no threats" (13:8). In Hebrew doesn’t listen to rebuke (13:1) and hear no threats (13:8) are one phrase, lo shama' ge'arah. The scoffer doesn't listen to rebuke; the poor man hears no threats. Instruction in 13:1 is musar, and the chapter comes back to it twice: "Poverty and shame come to him who refuses discipline" (13:18), and "one who loves him is careful to discipline him" (13:24), where discipline is musar both times. The instruction of "Whoever despises instruction will pay for it" (13:13) is another Hebrew word, davar, which Brown-Driver-Briggs gives as "speech, word". And the chapter has a saying about whom you walk with: "One who walks with wise men grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm" (13:20) (tap fools).

מוּסָרmusarsay moo-SAR

Brown-Driver-Briggs: "discipline (of the moral nature), chastening, correction". Strong's: "properly, chastisement; figuratively, reproof, warning or instruction". The chapter has it three times, and the WEB gives it two ways: "A wise son listens to his father’s instruction" (13:1), "Poverty and shame come to him who refuses discipline" (13:18), and "one who loves him is careful to discipline him" (13:24). The instruction of 13:13 is another Hebrew word. Proverbs has musar 30 times in Hebrew, from "to know wisdom and instruction" (Proverbs 1:2) on.