Proverbs 27:12 (KJV)

Passage

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 27:10 Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.

Proverbs 27:11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth me.

Proverbs 27:12 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.

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

Proverbs 27:14 He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "prudent", "foreseeth", "evil", "hideth", "himself", "simple", "pass", and "punished". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "prudent" and "foreseeth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

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