Introduction
Before getting into the meaning of Proverbs 14:8, here’s different Bible translations:
King James Version
The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.
American Standard Version
The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way; But the folly of fools is deceit.
World English Bible version
The wisdom of the prudent is to think about his way, but the folly of fools is deceit.
Proverbs 14:8 Meaning & Commentary
The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving. – Proverbs 14:8 (ESV)
A wise person can and does discern his way. Notice how this verse says that it’s the wisdom of the prudent person that discerns his way. The word prudent here is the Hebrew word “arum,” and it also means crafty, shrewd, or sensible. To discern our way means to give thought to it, consider it, or understand its outcome. We can think of it this way: if we were to become friends with the wrong people, we likely are putting ourselves at risk of them influencing us or our character becoming corrupted and us going down a destructive path.
Considering Proverbs 14:8, we could say that a prudent person would be able to see the end of the road they are on, which could be prison or death, and then discern that this is not a good road to continue traveling down. The prudent person would then be wise enough to change course in life after discerning that the path they are on is not a good one:
Proverbs 14:15 – The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps. Prudent people give thought to their steps, meaning they only do things or make significant life decisions with careful consideration and thought to what they are doing and where they might end up going.
Meanwhile, The Bible says that the folly of fools is deceiving – meaning that a foolish person can easily be deceived by their foolishness and be unable to discern the end of the path they are traveling on.
In our earlier example of the person hanging around with the wrong crowd, rather than discerning the danger of the situation, a foolish person would instead think that there could be no bad outcome. Their mentality would be “what could possibly happen” or “nothing could go wrong.” However, they are deceived by their foolishness and led down a destructive path.
Application
How can we apply Proverbs 14:8 to our lives?
There is no quick and short way to stop being foolish overnight and immediately become wise. However, The Bible gives some principles which we can apply begin to apply right away.
Firstly, we need to take God’s Word seriously in our lives. The Bible says that God’s Word is a lamp to our feet: Psalm 119:105 – Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. God’s word helps correct and guide us and even shows us the way to take, in the sense that God speaks to us through His word. When contemplating decisions and choices in life, taking God’s Word and seriously reading it helps us make decisions in line with His Word and godly principles.
Secondly, The Bible tells us to ask for wisdom – which should be an ongoing prayer request of ours: James 1:5 – If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. Wisdom can be defined as the art of skilfully applying the knowledge and understanding we have in our lives to live effectively.
Lastly, the people we surround ourselves with have a massive impact on whom we become: Proverbs 13:20 – Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. This verse sums it up: if we walk with wise people, we become wise, but if we walk with fools, we will suffer harm. This verse does not say this only applies to certain people – instead, it makes a “blanket statement.”
This tells us that no one is immune to these principles working in their life. Even a good person can be corrupted by bad company: 1 Corinthians 15:33 – Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”
When we apply these few principles in our lives, we will start to grow in wisdom and prudence, and we will be able to discern our way and keep ourselves from being deceived by foolishness and falling into danger!
Prayer
Mighty God, I thank You for Your Word, which keeps me on the right path when tempted to sway to the left or the right. I ask for wisdom today – help me discern and recognize the end of the path I am on.
I ask that you bring people into my life who can challenge and inspire me to grow and be better. I ask that you open my eyes spiritually and help me discern my steps. I pray this all in Jesus’ name. Amen!
