“Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.”
My Notes
What Does Proverbs 19:27 Mean?
"Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge." The father warns: STOP listening to teaching that leads you away from truth. Not all instruction is good instruction. Some teaching — presented as wisdom — actually causes error. The son must learn to identify and CEASE listening to instruction that diverts from genuine knowledge.
The phrase "instruction that causeth to err" (musar lishgot — discipline/teaching that causes wandering/straying) identifies a dangerous category: instruction that presents itself as wisdom but produces error. The teaching sounds instructive. It uses the language of correction. But its effect is deviation from truth. The instruction LOOKS right but leads wrong.
The command "cease" (chadal — stop, desist, leave off) is urgent and absolute: don't gradually reduce your exposure. STOP. The instruction that causes error requires immediate disconnection, not gradual distancing. The danger is ongoing — every moment you continue listening, you continue erring.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What instruction are you receiving that sounds wise but is leading you away from truth?
- 2.How do you identify teaching that LOOKS instructive but CAUSES error?
- 3.Why does the command say 'cease' (stop immediately) rather than 'gradually evaluate'?
- 4.What 'words of knowledge' serve as your standard for evaluating all other instruction?
Devotional
Stop. Stop listening to instruction that leads you astray. The command is blunt and urgent: CEASE. Not 'gradually reduce your exposure.' Not 'consider alternative viewpoints.' STOP. The instruction that causes you to err from genuine knowledge requires immediate disconnection.
The 'instruction that causeth to err' is the most dangerous kind of teaching: it LOOKS like instruction. It SOUNDS like wisdom. It uses the vocabulary of correction and guidance. But its effect is wandering — it moves you AWAY from the words of knowledge, not toward them. The instruction is dressed as truth while functioning as deception.
The father's warning acknowledges that not all teaching is trustworthy: the son lives in a world of competing voices, all claiming to instruct. Some of that instruction is genuine — it leads toward knowledge. Some is counterfeit — it leads away from knowledge while appearing to lead toward it. The son's job is discernment: which instruction to follow and which to CEASE hearing.
The 'words of knowledge' (imrei da'at) are the standard by which all instruction is evaluated: if the teaching aligns with genuine knowledge, follow it. If the teaching causes you to err FROM genuine knowledge — no matter how good it sounds — stop. The test isn't how the instruction feels or how authoritative the teacher appears. The test is where the instruction leads relative to truth.
What instruction are you receiving that sounds wise but is actually leading you away from genuine knowledge?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Cease, my son, to hear the instruction,.... The counsel of bad men, or the doctrine of false teachers. The words are…
literally, Cease, my son, to hear instruction, that thou mayest err from the words of knowledge; advice given ironically…
This is a good caution to those that have had a good education to take heed of hearkening to those who, under pretence…
That causeth to err The Heb. is simply, Cease to hear instruction to err. This may mean either, with A.V., Do not listen…
Cross References
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