Proverbs 18:1 (KJV)

Passage

Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 18:1 Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.

Proverbs 18:2 A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.

Proverbs 18:3 When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "through", "desire", "having", "separated", "himself", "seeketh", "intermeddleth", and "wisdom". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "through" and "desire", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The next verse adds "A fool hath no delight in understanding...", so "through" and "desire" should be read forward into that movement. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

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