Thoughts From Proverbs 10

Proverbs 10:8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 31, 32

⁸ The wise of heart will receive commands,
But a babbling fool will be ruined.
¹⁰ He who winks the eye causes trouble,
And a babbling fool will be ruined.

These eleven references to failure, recklessness, or ignorance are a continuation of the writer’s warning against sins of the mouth. But it seems as if no amount of caution is adequate to prevent this human failure.

Verses 8 and 10 are especially vivid in the description of this failure.  The name applied, “babbling”, the person described, “a fool”, and the end predicated, “ruin” all make this a dire warning.

None of the descriptive language is desirable for anyone.  What can be a worse name than to be called a babbler?  It is to be without content and too ignorant to realize this.  A babbling brook is a stream whose progress is marked by meaningless noise.  Though the noise may be pleasant it is without any value.

The writer does not give this babbler the possibility of being pleasant.  This one is a fool destined to destruction.