A Scorner

“A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.” (Proverbs 14:6)

“Scorner” comes from the Hebrew, “luwts“.The literal translation meaning to stammer or speak barbarously, (Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon). It is describing someone speaking a foreign language to folks who do not understand it, all they hear is gibberish.

Often luwts is transliterated to mean, “interpreter”. Here’s an example from Genesis.

“And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter” (Genesis 42:23)

But there is a negative connotation to luwts. It is used when deriding or mocking someone. An example of it being used in that context can be found a few verses later in Proverbs 14. 

“Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.” (Proverbs 14:9)

In many ways, scorner as it is used in Proverbs 14:6 is a combination of both interpreter and mocker. For the scorner seeks wisdom but can’t find it because it’s a foreign language to them. God’s word doesn’t seem to make sense to them, it’s all gibberish. What the scorner seeks is easily found, but difficult if not impossible for them to understand. Wisdom and knowledge are useless if you can’t understand them, and what is not understood by the scorner is discounted and discredited.

The Bible stresses for all of us to get wisdom and knowledge. The first 5 chapters of Proverbs speaks almost exclusively on this subject. The books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon are known as, “The Wisdom Books”. Solomon, the author of the Book of Proverbs says that, “Wisdom is the principal thing” (Proverbs 4:7).

Because the Bible stresses to get wisdom and knowledge, many labor under the misapprehension that worshipping God is an academic pursuit. Also consider that the word, “Theology”, means the study of God. But education does not make the man of God. For example, the devil himself can have a PhD in theology. There are many highly educated devils in this world.

But what is knowledge and wisdom without understanding? Knowing of God doesn’t mean you know God. Which brings us to ask, “What then, is understanding?”

Understanding is the state of being in which the soul grasps the truth. With the soul being the determinant factor for understanding, it becomes clear as to why sometimes the highly educated and very intelligent cannot understand divine truth. Not all are called. Not all are chosen. Not all are the children of God. They will never truly understand the divine for their soul can’t grasp it.

So, those incapable of truth and understanding mock and deride those who are capable. This is one of the reasons why intelligentsia are so often critical of the Christian. God’s wisdom and knowledge are beyond their comprehension, so they attack those who do understand.

Not all intelligent people are this way. Many folks have a difficult time understanding the truth of God due to their own pride and ego. Pride and ego are the devil’s playground and where he finds most of his successes. Imagine how insulted intelligentsia feels when they see ordinary folks, even children, who “get it” and they don’t!

So, what’s the answer to the scorner? Sometimes it’s a matter of humility. Sometimes folks have to overcome themselves before they can understand God. Love these folks along the way and pray for God’s help and guidance.

Sometimes it’s best just to leave well enough alone, because the honest to goodness scorner is never satisfied.

“Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.” (Proverbs 4:14-16)

Bill Hitchcock