“But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:”
My Notes
What Does Proverbs 1:25 Mean?
Wisdom personified accuses those who rejected her: "But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof." Two forms of rejection — dismissing her counsel (setting at nought — para — to break, to frustrate, to make void) and refusing her correction (would none — avah — to be unwilling, to refuse, to reject). The wisdom that was offered was both strategically dismissed and personally refused.
The word "set at nought" (para) means to actively invalidate: they didn't just ignore wisdom's counsel. They voided it. They treated it as worth nothing. The counsel that could have saved them was evaluated and dismissed as worthless. The rejection was a value assessment: your advice has zero value to me.
The "would none" (avah) describes willful refusal: they chose not to receive the reproof. Not that they couldn't understand it. Not that it wasn't available. They wouldn't receive it. The capacity was there. The willingness wasn't. The rejection was volitional — a deliberate act of the will against what wisdom offered.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What wisdom-counsel have you actively dismissed (set at nought) rather than merely missed?
- 2.What's the difference between not receiving correction and willfully refusing it?
- 3.How does wisdom's withdrawal during calamity (verse 26-27) warn about the consequences of dismissal?
- 4.What window for receiving counsel might be closing in your life right now?
Devotional
You voided my counsel. You refused my correction. Wisdom stands in the public square (verse 20) and accuses the people who dismissed her. The advice that could have saved them was evaluated and rejected as worthless.
The 'set at nought' is the active verb: they didn't just fail to notice wisdom. They assessed her counsel and declared it void. Zero value. Not applicable. Irrelevant to their situation. The dismissal was conscious and evaluated — they heard the counsel, weighed it against their own preferences, and threw it away. The rejection wasn't accidental. It was a value judgment.
The 'would none' adds the personal dimension: they refused the correction personally. Wisdom offered to reprove — to point out what was wrong, to redirect what was drifting. And they said: no. Not interested. The reproof wasn't unclear (wisdom spoke publicly, verse 20-21). It wasn't inaccessible (wisdom offered it freely). They just didn't want it. The unwillingness was the barrier, not the unavailability.
The consequence (verses 26-27) is devastating: when calamity comes, wisdom will laugh. When the disaster they could have avoided arrives, wisdom will not be available for consultation. The counsel they voided when it was offered won't be offered again when they need it. The window for receiving wisdom had a closing time, and they let it pass.
This should terrify every person who has heard good counsel and dismissed it. The advice from the mentor you didn't listen to. The warning from the friend you brushed off. The Scripture that addressed your situation directly and you set at nought. Wisdom was speaking. You voided the counsel and refused the reproof. And wisdom notes the date.
What counsel have you set at nought — and is the window still open?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
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Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture