Proverbs 27:22 (ASV)

Passage

Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with bruised grain, Yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 27:20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; And the eyes of man are never satisfied.

Proverbs 27:21 The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold; And a man is [tried] by his praise.

Proverbs 27:22 Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with bruised grain, Yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

Proverbs 27:23 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, [And] look well to thy herds:

Proverbs 27:24 For riches are not for ever: And doth the crown endure unto all generations?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "though", "shouldest", "bray", "fool", "mortar", "pestle", and "along". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "though" and "shouldest", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 21's "The refining pot is for silver and..." into verse 23's "Be thou diligent to know the state...", so "though" and "shouldest" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "though" and "shouldest" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.