What Do You Mean, Simple?
“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge. Turn at my rebuke; surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.”
Who are the “simple ones”? According to the Nelson Study Bible, they are the “‘open ones,’ the naïve. These are young people who have not yet made up their minds about life or the direction they will take.”
In this passage Wisdom personified is calling to the simple ones, urging them to not follow the path of the scorners and fools who had despised the truth and rejected God. A recurring theme of Proverbs is a call to listen to correction and to receive the blessing of God’s wisdom. It is a call to choose life—while there is time.
For more about seeking wisdom, see “How to Study the Bible.”
