The wise are not necessarily those with perfect behavior, but rather they respond properly to correction. Others mock at correction and hate the very knowledge which would save them. They despise correction and will not listen to rebuke. They live carelessly and their end is calamity.
3:11 My son, don’t despise Yahweh’s discipline,And notice the similarity with Hebrews and Revelation
Neither be weary of his reproof:
Therefore if we are practicing God's love then we should be involved not only in responding properly to correction, but also be involved in correcting others.The world's concept of love is more along the lines of making people feel good about themselves. Indeed to many in the world rebuke is akin to sin. And such is the misconception of many in the church today. Yet the New Testament is filled with examples of rebuke, exhortation and correction both in the gospels and in the letters.
9:7 He who corrects a mocker invites insult.A way to measure a person's level of wisdom is by their response to rebuke. The most common response to rebuke is insult and hatred. For people are predominantly scoffers and mockers. But the wise are teachable and appreciate correction.
He who reproves a wicked man invites abuse.
9:8 Don’t reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you.
Reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
9:9 Instruct a wise man, and he will be still wiser.
Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.19:25 Flog a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence;
Rebuke one who has understanding, and he will gain knowledge.
25:12 As an ear-ring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold,
So is a wise reprover to an obedient ear.
13:18 Poverty and shame come to him who refuses discipline,There are personal benefits in responding properly to rebuke but those who hate rebuke end up harming themselves.
But he who heeds correction shall be honored.
15:10 There is stern discipline for one who forsakes the way:
Whoever hates reproof shall die.
10:17 He is in the way of life who heeds correction,Noone is an island and as such if we don't respond properly to rebuke not only are we going along the wrong path but also we will lead others astray.
But he who forsakes reproof leads others astray.
12:1 Whoever loves correction loves knowledge,Yes there are many people who are just plain stupid, who only want complements but not correction.
But he who hates reproof is stupid.
15:12 A scoffer doesn’t love to be reproved; He will not go to the wise.Scoffers avoid reproof by avoiding the wise. They don't associate with the wise and are offended if the wise enter into their environment. Thus as Christians try to reach out to influence society we experience a great deal of hostility from the world.
15:31 The ear that listens to reproof lives, And will be at home among the wise.The contrite on the other hand will tend to gravitate to the wise.
15:32 He who refuses correction despises his own soul, But he who listens to reproof gets understanding.
17:10 A rebuke enters deeper into one who has understandingThose with children recognize that children require different degrees of correction. The more foolish require more severe correction. But for some a simple rebuke is sufficient.
Than a hundred lashes into a fool.
27:5 Better is open rebuke Than hidden love.Hidden love is like affection without action. It doesn't benefit the one supposedly being loved. As such it is questionable whether hidden love is genuine or nothing more than a person in love with their own feelings of affection. Biblical love is concerned with meeting the person's actual needs. Rebuke is an example of the practice of Christian love, which is seldom appreciated in the short term.
28:23 One who rebukes a man will afterward find more favorBut in the long term rebuke will be found to have met people's needs more so than complements.
Than one who flatters with the tongue.
29:15 The rod of correction gives wisdom,Modern American culture with its emphasis on freedom and independence has influence many parents to neglect correcting their children and letting them basically raise themselves with the inevitable result of rebellious teenagers involved in risky behavior. No surprise there!
But a child left to himself causes shame to his mother.
29:19 A servant can’t be corrected by words.What he is alluding to here is not to one who has the heart of a servant which is a Christian virtue, but rather one who obeys reluctantly as a slave in comparison to a son who has the heart of his father and a desire to please him. Though we are servants of God, yet if we view ourselves only as servants obligated to obey and not as sons of God, God may find it necessary to hit us over the head to keep us in line as we "kick against the goads." But as sons concerned with imitating and pleasing our Father, only words are necessary to keep us in line. Thus if you don't respond to God's Word, He may just have to do something more severe to get His point across.
Though he understands, yet he will not respond.
13:1 A wise son listens to his father’s instruction,
But a scoffer doesn’t listen to rebuke.
30:6 Don’t you add to his words, Lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar.The sense of this is that we should not claim that our own words are the Word of God - a principle of which many Christians violate today. However we must add applications to God's Word or else we are also not handling His Word properly. The Word is meant to be applied. More literally we can say that we must infer applications from God's Word. An application of this verse is to rebuke those who add to God's Word deviant ideas such as is the case with Islam, or who misinterpret what God has said in order to read into the Bible deviant ideas as is the case with deviant versions of Christianity.