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Proverbs 8 · a question people ask

"I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth" (8:13). What does Wisdom hate?

In the text

The verse names it, and it begins with the fear of the LORD: "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil. I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth" (8:13) (tap hate). So the fear of the LORD is hating evil, and she names what she hates: pride, arrogance, the evil way and the perverse mouth. In Hebrew pride here is ge'ah, a word the Hebrew Bible has only in this verse, and arrogance is ga'on, the word of Pride in "Pride goes before destruction" (16:18). The book has another list of things hated: "There are six things which the LORD hates" (6:16), beginning with "arrogant eyes, a lying tongue" (6:17). And the people Wisdom calls to include the simple and fools: "You simple, understand prudence! You fools, be of an understanding heart!" (8:5). In her last words it is others who hate: "All those who hate me love death" (8:36). The notes on Psalm 97 set 8:13 beside "You who love the LORD, hate evil!" (Psalm 97:10).

The verses

“You simple, understand prudence! You fools, be of an understanding heart!”
Proverbs 8:5 · World English Bible
“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil. I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth.”
Proverbs 8:13 · World English Bible
“But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul. All those who hate me love death.””
Proverbs 8:36 · World English Bible
“Pride goes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.”
Proverbs 16:18 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Proverbs 8

Proverbs 8: Doesn't wisdom cry out?

Chapter 3 said, "By understanding, he established the heavens" (3:19). In chapter 8 Wisdom says, "When he established the heavens, I was there" (8:27), with the same Hebrew verb and noun. And her last blessing, "Blessed is the man who hears me" (8:34), "whoever finds me finds life" (8:35), has the Hebrew words of 3:13's "Happy is the man who finds wisdom".

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions