Proverbs 17:10 (KJV)

Passage

A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 17:8 A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.

Proverbs 17:9 He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.

Proverbs 17:10 A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.

Proverbs 17:11 An evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

Proverbs 17:12 Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "stripes", "reproof", "entereth", "wise", "than", "hundred", and "fool". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "stripes" and "reproof", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 9's "He that covereth a transgression seeketh love..." into verse 11's "An evil man seeketh only rebellion therefore...", so "stripes" and "reproof" 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 "stripes" and "reproof" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.