Proverbs 23:9
Speak not in the ears of fools: because they will despise the instruction of thy speech.
Open Proverbs 23:9 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- In auribus insipientium ne loquaris, qui despicient doctrinam eloquii tui.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- εἰς ὦτα ἄφρονος μηδὲν λέγε, μή ποτε μυκτηρίσῃ τοὺς συνετοὺς λόγους σου.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- בְּאָזְנֵ֣י כְ֭סִיל אַל תְּדַבֵּ֑ר כִּֽי יָ֝ב֗וּז לְשֵׂ֣כֶל מִלֶּֽיךָ
The Fathers on this verse
St Cyprian Treatise V
1. I had frequently, Demetrianus, treated with contempt your railing and noisy clamour with sacrilegious mouth and impious words against the one and true God, thinking it more modest and better, silently to scorn the ignorance of a mistaken man, than by speaking to provoke the fury of a senseless one. Neither did I do this without the authority of the divine teaching, since it is written, “Speak not in the ears of a fool, lest when he hear thee he should despise the wisdom of thy words;” and again, “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.” And we are, moreover, bidden to keep what is holy within our own knowledge, and not expose it to be trodden down by swine and dogs, since the Lord speaks, saying, “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” …
St Cyprian Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews, Testimony L
In Solomon, in the Proverbs: “Say not anything in the ears of a foolish man; lest, when he hears it, he may mock at thy wise words.” Also in the Gospel according to Matthew: “Give not that which is holy to dogs; neither cast ye your pearls before the swine, lest perchance they trample them down with their feet, and turn again and crush you.”
St Jerome Jerome's Apology for Himself Against the Books of Rufinus, The way of peace is through the wisdom taught in the Book of Proverbs, and through unity in the faith
“Foolish men, while they desire injuries, become impious and hate wisdom. Devise not evil against thy friend. Be not angry with a man without a cause. The impious exalt contumely. Remove from thee the evil mouth, keep far from thee the wicked lips, the eyes of him that speaketh evil, the tongue of the unjust, the hands which shed the blood of the just, the heart that deviseth evil thoughts, and the feet which hasten to do evil. He that resteth upon falsehood feedeth the winds, and followeth the flying birds. For he hath left the ways of his own vineyard, and hath made the wheels of his tillage to err. He walketh through the dry and desert places, and with his hands he gathereth barrenness. The mouth of the froward is near to destruction, and he who uttereth evil words is the chief of fools. Every simple man is a soul that is blessed; but a violent man is dishonourable. …
St John Cassian The Conferences of John Cassian. Part II. Containing Conferences XI-XVII, Chapter XVII. To whom the method of perfection should be laid open
Take care too, when your riper age leads you to teach, lest you be led astray by the love of vainglory, and teach at random to the most impure persons these things which you have learnt not so much by reading as by the effects of experience, and so incur what Solomon, that wisest of men, denounced: “Attach not a wicked man to the pastures of the just, and be not led astray by the fulness of the belly,” for “delicacies are not good for a fool, nor is there room for wisdom where sense is wanting: for folly is the more led on, because a stubborn servant is not improved by words, for even though he understands, he will not obey.” And “Do not say anything in the ears of an imprudent man, lest haply he mock at thy wise speeches.” And “give not that which is holy to dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest haply they trample them under foot and turn again and rend you.” It is right …