Proverbs 12 is the twelfth chapter of the Book of Proverbs in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the ChristianBible.[1][2] The book is a compilation of several wisdom literature collections, with the heading in 1:1 may be intended to regard Solomon as the traditional author of the whole book, but the dates of the individual collections are difficult to determine, and the book probably obtained its final shape in the post-exilic period.[3] This chapter is a part of the second collection of the book.[4]
This chapter belongs to a section regarded as the second collection in the book of Proverbs (comprising Proverbs 10:1–22:16), also called "The First 'Solomonic' Collection" (the second one in Proverbs 25:1–29:27).[3] The collection contains 375 sayings, each of which consists of two parallel phrases, except for Proverbs 19:7 which consists of three parts.[7]
"Stupid”: from the Hebrew word בַּעַר, baʿar, “stupid, brutish”, which comes from בְּעִיר, beʿir, "beast, cattle";referring to a 'lack of rationality' (Psalm 30:2; 49:10; 73:22; 92:7).[9]
This saying along with those in verses 15–16 and 23 describe central characteristics of a "fool" in the Book of Proverbs, mainly:[10]
imperviousness to a word of advice as to a word of rebuke, by reason of his innate stupidity and self-conceit, (verses 1, 15; cf. 18:2; 28:26).
inability to recognize sound advice and to act
upon it—not least by those used to giving it (verse 26).
offers opinions (cf. 18:2) that advertises one's folly, in contrast to the disciplined, restrained speech of the wise ('conceals knowledge') (cf. 10:19; 17:28).[10]
"Pathway": from דֶרֶך נְתִיבָה, derekh netivah, “a way, a path”, with a duplication of meaning. Repointing the first word as a Qal participle (דֹּרֵך, dorekh) would give a meaning “treading a path [that leads to…].”[12]
"No death": following the Masoretic vocalization of the consonants אל־מות, ʾl mvt, as אַל־מָוֶת, ʾal mavet, which can give a sense of "immortality" (“the journey of [her] path is no-death”).[13] Many medieval Hebrew manuscripts and all the versions vocalize it as אֶל־מָוֶת, ʾel mavet, meaning “leads to death” (cf. NAB, NCV).[13] The Greek Septuagint version reads the whole second clause as “the ways of the revengeful [lead] to death”.[12]