Proverbs 19:27 · Bible study
Proverbs 19:27 Commentary: The Warning About Listening
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine the interpretive possibilities of Proverbs 19:27: Does it warn against ceasing good instruction, against hearing corrupt teaching, or is it ironic?
Research Summary
- Meaning: A warning that how you listen determines whether you hold to knowledge or stray from it.
- Key words: חדל (cease), שמע (hear/listen/obey), מוסר (discipline, correction), שגה (stray, err), דעת (knowledge).
- Main debate: Whether the verse warns against stopping good instruction, hearing bad instruction, or is ironic.
- Theological theme: The guardianship of true knowledge through disciplined listening and obedience.
- Best use: A pastoral warning for discernment in receiving teaching, especially in contexts with competing voices.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
If you cease to hear instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.
WEB World English Bible 2000
If you stop listening to instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.
KJV King James Version 1769
Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Cease, my son, to hear instruction Onlyto err from the words of knowledge.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Cease, my son, to hear instruction--To err from sayings of knowledge.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Cease, my son, to hear the instruction which causeth to stray from the words of knowledge.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Cease not, O my son, to hear instruction, and be not ignorant of the words of knowledge.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Cesa, hijo mío, de oir la enseñanza que induce á divagar de las razones de sabiduría.
Filho meu, deixa de ouvir a instrução, então te desviarás das palavras de conhecimento.
Cesse, mon fils, d’ écouter l’ instruction,
Laß ab, mein Sohn, zu hören die Zucht, und doch abzuirren von vernünftiger Lehre.
Laat af, mijn zoon, horende de tucht, af te dwalen van de redenen der wetenschap.
Cessa, figliuol mio, d’ascoltar l’istruzione, se ti vuoi allontanare dalle parole della scienza.
Synu mój! przestań słuchać nauki, któraby cię odwodziła od mów rozumnych.
Перестань, сын мой, слушать внушения об уклонении от изречений разума.
我兒，不可 聽了 教訓 而又偏離 知識 的言語。
A son who no longer gives attention to teaching is turned away from the words of knowledge.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Proverbs 19:27
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Proverbs 19:27 delivers a sharp warning about the connection between listening and straying from knowledge. The Hebrew syntax is ambiguous: "Cease, my son, to hear instruction, to stray from words of knowledge." This permits three main readings. Matthew Henry and Gill take it as a warning against listening to corrupt instruction that leads one away from truth. Keil & Delitzsch and Barnes detect "bloody irony", a command to stop listening to good instruction if one intends to misuse it. The Cambridge Bible gives both options. Despite these differences, all affirm that the proverb confronts the danger of abandoning or perverting the discipline (musar) that leads to knowledge. The fatherly address "my son" places the warning in the covenant context of wisdom tradition.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Corrupt instruction view: The verse warns against listening to teaching that leads away from knowledge (Matthew Henry, Gill, Geneva Bible).
- Ceasing good instruction view: The verse warns against abandoning good discipline, which leads to error (some readings of the Cambridge Bible).
- Ironic view: The command is ironic: stop listening to good instruction if you only intend to use it to go astray (Keil & Delitzsch, Barnes).
What is clear: The verse warns that the way we listen (whether we stop or what we hear) directly affects our hold on true knowledge of God.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'cease to hear instruction' | The phrase involves a choice about what kind of hearing to pursue or stop. | Some interpret it as stopping good instruction (leading to straying), others as stopping bad instruction (to avoid straying), and others as ironic (stop good instruction if you misuse it). |
| Who is the instructor? | The father figure (or Wisdom) speaks to the son as a recipient of instruction. | Whether 'instruction' refers to good, divine teaching or to corrupt human teaching is the point of contention. |
| Is the verse ironic? | The Hebrew allows an ironic reading, and several commentators note it. | Some (Matthew Henry, Gill) read it as straightforward; others (Keil & Delitzsch, Barnes) see intentional irony warning against hypocrisy. |
| Consequence of straying | Straying from words of knowledge is a negative outcome to be avoided. | What constitutes straying, whether it is complete apostasy or gradual drift, is understood differently across traditions. |
| Application to Christian life | The verse calls for discernment in what teachings are accepted and how they are received. | Christians differ on how to identify false teachers and on the role of tradition versus Scripture in safeguarding knowledge. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The book of Proverbs is a collection of sayings that pass down wisdom from father to son, often within the royal court of Solomon. This verse belongs to that tradition: the father (or Wisdom personified) urgently calls his son to discernment. The Hebrew word musar (discipline, correction) is a key term throughout Proverbs, referring both to the training that shapes character and to the warnings that keep one on the right path.
The surrounding verses contrast those who fear Yahweh (v. 23) with scoffers, fools, and corrupt witnesses (vv. 25, 29). Verse 27 stands as a hinge: it warns against a kind of listening that undermines knowledge. In ancient Israel, the community faced constant pressures from surrounding nations and false prophets who offered attractive but deceptive teaching. The warning echoes Deuteronomy 13:1, 4, where even a prophet with signs must be rejected if he leads away from God. The New Testament picks up the same concern: Jesus warns in Matthew 7:15 against false prophets who come in sheep’s clothing. The father’s call is thus both personal and communal, a plea to guard the ear against voices that would pull the son from the words of knowledge.
The Hebrew construction is grammatically pointed: the infinitive lishgot (to stray) can express purpose or result. This ambiguity is the source of interpretive debate. The verse does not say clearly whether the hearing itself is corrupt or whether the problem is using good instruction as a springboard for error. This lack of clarity is intentional, inviting readers to examine their own posture toward every kind of teaching.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Proverbs 19:27. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts. The primary interpretive challenge is syntactic, not textual.
Reception History
Jewish commentators Jarchi (Rashi) and Aben Ezra transposed the phrase, reading it as "cease, my son, to err from the words of knowledge, in order to hear instruction." This shows an early concern to harmonize the verse with the positive value of discipline. In Christian interpretation, the verse has been used to warn against false teachers, Gill specifically lists Arian, Sabellian, and Roman Catholic doctrines as examples of instruction that causes error. The Reformers and later Puritan commentators (Matthew Henry) applied it to the danger of abandoning the principles of sound education. More recently, the ironic reading has gained attention as a warning against the hypocrisy of receiving instruction without intent to obey, connecting it to James 1:22, 24. Across eras, the proverb has served as a call to vigilance in hearing.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Danger of Selective Listening. Ceasing to hear good instruction leaves a vacuum, which error fills. The verse warns against a passive drift.
- The Choice Between True and False Instruction. Some teaching appears instructive but leads away from knowledge. Discernment is needed.
- The Consequence of Straying. To stray from words of knowledge is to lose the foundation of wisdom and the fear of the Lord.
Five-point outline
- Hearing is an act of commitment.
- Not all instruction leads to life.
- The irony of turning good learning into self-deception.
- The call to evaluate teachers by their fruit.
- The hope of returning to the words that give knowledge.
Illustration hooks
- A person who only reads news that confirms their opinions gradually loses the ability to see truth (confirmation bias).
- A student who stops attending classes but still claims to know the subject soon flunks.
- Social media algorithms serve content that slowly shifts a person's worldview, while they think they are just being educated.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can I be sure I'm not listening to the wrong kind of teaching?
- Is it always wrong to stop listening to someone who claims to teach the Bible?
- What are the warning signs that I am straying from the words of knowledge?
Leading a Discussion
This short proverb challenges us to examine the quality of the instruction we allow into our lives. The ambiguity in the Hebrew forces us to ask: Is the problem that we stop listening to good teaching, or that we listen to the wrong teaching? The discussion below will help your group weigh both possibilities and apply the warning.
Discussion questions
- What does the verse say about the relationship between listening and straying?
- Why do you think the father uses the word "cease" (an imperative) rather than a softer term?
- In your own words, what are "the words of knowledge" in this context?
- Can you think of examples where instruction that sounds helpful actually leads people away from truth?
- The verse has been read as ironic: "Stop listening to good instruction if you only intend to err." What difference does this ironic reading make for how we understand the warning?
- How does this proverb connect with Jesus' warning about false prophets in Matthew 7:15?
- What practical steps can you take this week to evaluate the teaching you are most exposed to?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 13:1 | If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, |
| Deuteronomy 13:4 | You shall walk after Yahweh your God, fear him, keep his commandments, and obey his voice. You shall serve him, and cling to him. |
| I Kings 22:22 | Yahweh said to him, ‘How?’ He said, ‘I will go out and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ He said, ‘You will entice him, and will also prevail. Go out and do so.’ |
| I Kings 22:28 | Micaiah said, “If you return at all in peace, Yahweh has not spoken by me.” He said, “Listen, all you people!” |
| Proverbs 14:7 | Stay away from a foolish man, for you won’t find knowledge on his lips. |
| Matthew 7:15 | “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. |
| Matthew 16:6 | Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” |
| Matthew 16:12 | Then they understood that he didn’t tell them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the command to stop listening means avoiding anything that turns a person away from God and his truth. This keeps one close to God’s word.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes reads the father's words as ironic advice given because the son is already tempted to stop receiving instruction. The father mockingly urges the son to give in, making him face that drifting from knowledge is a choice made with clear awareness of the evil ahead.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes that the Hebrew word means stop hearing instruction so as to err. It explains this can mean do not listen to guidance that would lead you astray or do not listen to good instruction and still choose to err.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Geneva Bible Notes sees this command as a warning against ignoring advice that leads away from true wisdom. It urges one to stop listening to such guidance. Your trust in God’s truth gives you peace.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that false teachers teach ideas that cause people to stray from God’s true words. He says avoiding such teachings helps one have a better knowledge of Christ.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch see this proverb as bitter irony warning against using wisdom to deceive oneself. It urges stopping instruction not to learn but to later misuse that knowledge. You may find hope in Christ and Scripture.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange identifies gentleness and meekness as the unifying theme of this collection, showing how it applies to every relationship — with God, in marriage, parenting, and treatment of the poor. He treats the few unrelated proverbs as minor exceptions that do not disturb the chapter's central emphasis on mildness and humble devotion.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry warns that not all instruction is trustworthy: some teaching, though it claims to educate, actually pulls young people away from the good principles they were raised with. Such instruction teaches them to excuse sin and silence their conscience, so the wise response is to refuse even to listen.