Proverbs 27:12 (GNV)

Passage

A prudent man seeth the plague, and hideth himselfe: but the foolish goe on still, and are punished.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 27:10 Thine owne friend and thy fathers friend forsake thou not: neither enter into thy brothers house in the day of thy calamitie: for better is a neighbour that is neere, then a brother farre off.

Proverbs 27:11 My sonne, be wise, and reioyce mine heart, that I may answere him that reprocheth me.

Proverbs 27:12 A prudent man seeth the plague, and hideth himselfe: but the foolish goe on still, and are punished.

Proverbs 27:13 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and a pledge of him for the stranger.

Proverbs 27:14 He that prayseth his friend with a loude voyce, rising earely in the morning, it shall be counted to him as a curse.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "prudent", "seeth", "plague", "hideth", "himselfe", "foolish", "still", and "punished". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "prudent" and "seeth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "My sonne be wise and reioyce mine..." into verse 13's "Take his garment that is surety for...", so "prudent" and "seeth" 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 "prudent" and "seeth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.