Proverbs 13:20 - Exposition

He that walketh with wise men shall be wise; or, according to the Khetib, walk with wise men , and thou shall be wise. Ecclesiastes 6:1-12 :36, "If thou seest a man of understanding, get thee betimes unto him, and let thy foot wear the steps of his door." So the Greek maxim—

σοφοῖς ὁμιλῶν καὐτὸς ἐκβήσῃ σοφός .

"With wise conversing thou wilt wise become."

and Eurip; ' Rhesus,' 206—

σοφοῦ παρ ἀνδρὸς χρὴ σοφόν τι μανθάνειν

"A man that's wise will thee true wisdom teach."

A companion of fools shall be destroyed ; literally, shall be broken, shall suffer moral ruin; Revised Version margin, "shall smart for it." But the antithesis is not well brought out by this rendering: and as the word may bear the sense of "doing ill" as well as of "suffering ill," the interpretation of the Vulgat. intimates the correct idea of the clause: "The friend of fools shall turn out the same;" "He who associates with fools shall do evil." Septuagint, "He who roams about with fools shall be known." "Tell me your companions, and I will tell you what you are."

" Talis quis esse putatur qualis ei est sodalitas ."

A Dutch proverb says, "He that lives with cripples learns to limp;" and the Spanish, "He that goes with wolves learns to howl." We have a homely English proverb, "He that lies down with dogs shall rise up with fleas;" so the Orientals say," He that takes the raven for his guide shall light upon carrion."