Proverbs

Proverbs 21:24

Arrogant pride produces the mocker who rejects wisdom and treats others with contempt.

Proverbs 21:24 (WEB)

24 The proud and arrogant man—“Scoffer” is his name— he works in the arrogance of pride.

Central Idea

Arrogant pride produces the mocker who rejects wisdom and treats others with contempt.

Authorial Intent

To expose the destructive character of the arrogant mocker whose pride produces contempt toward wisdom and others.

Literary Context

Proverbs 21:24 follows verse 23, which emphasized control of speech. Now the focus shifts to a person who refuses such control. The connection is deliberate. Where wisdom guards the tongue, pride unleashes it. The progression moves from restraint to rebellion, highlighting the contrast between wisdom and arrogance.

Historical Context

In ancient Israel, pride and mockery were seen as serious moral failures that disrupted community and resisted wisdom instruction. Mockers were often contrasted with the wise in wisdom literature.

Chapter: Proverbs 21

The LORD Weighs the Heart: Justice, Righteousness, Pride, Diligence, and the Limits of Human Strength

Wisdom submits every heart, plan, act of worship, word, pursuit, and battle to the LORD, who weighs motives, loves righteousness and justice, and grants the final victory.