Proverbs 8:36
New International Version
But those who fail to find me harm themselves; all who hate me love death.”

New Living Translation
But those who miss me injure themselves. All who hate me love death.”

English Standard Version
but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.”

Berean Standard Bible
But he who fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death.”

King James Bible
But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

New King James Version
But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate me love death.”

New American Standard Bible
“But one who sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love death.”

NASB 1995
“But he who sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love death.”

NASB 1977
“But he who sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love death.”

Legacy Standard Bible
But he who sins against me does violence to his own soul; All those who hate me love death.”

Amplified Bible
“But he who fails to find me or sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love and court death.”

Christian Standard Bible
but the one who misses me harms himself; all who hate me love death.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
but the one who misses me harms himself; all who hate me love death.”

American Standard Version
But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: All they that hate me love death.

Contemporary English Version
But if you don't find me, you hurt only yourself, and if you hate me, you are in love with death.

English Revised Version
But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Whoever sins against me harms himself. All those who hate me love death."

Good News Translation
Those who do not find me hurt themselves; anyone who hates me loves death."

International Standard Version
But whoever sins against me destroys himself; everyone who hates me loves death."

Majority Standard Bible
But he who fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death.?

NET Bible
But the one who does not find me brings harm to himself; all who hate me love death."

New Heart English Bible
But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul. All those who hate me love death."

Webster's Bible Translation
But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

World English Bible
But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul. All those who hate me love death.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And whoever is missing me, is wronging his soul, "" All hating me have loved death!”

Young's Literal Translation
And whoso is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!

Smith's Literal Translation
And he sinning against me did violence to his soul: all hating me loved death.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But he that shall sin against me, shall hurt his own soul. All that hate me love death.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But he who sins against me will wound his own soul. All who hate me love death.”

New American Bible
But those who pass me by do violence to themselves; all who hate me love death.”

New Revised Standard Version
but those who miss me injure themselves; all who hate me love death.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Those who sin against me wrong their own soul; all those who hate me love death.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And those who sin against me harm their soul, and all who hate me are the friends of death.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
But he that misseth me wrongeth his own soul; All they that hate me love death.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But they that sin against me act wickedly against their own souls: and they that hate me love death.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Excellence of Wisdom
35For whoever finds me finds life and obtains the favor of the LORD. 36But he who fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death.”

Cross References
John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 8:12
Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

1 John 5:12
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Matthew 7:24-27
Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. / The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock. / But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ...

John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.

1 Corinthians 1:24
but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Colossians 2:3
in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

James 1:5
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

1 Corinthians 3:19
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.”

Isaiah 55:6-7
Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. / Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.

Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as My priests. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20
I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life, so that you and your descendants may live, / and that you may love the LORD your God, obey Him, and hold fast to Him. For He is your life, and He will prolong your life in the land that the LORD swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Psalm 34:21
Evil will slay the wicked, and the haters of the righteous will be condemned.


Treasury of Scripture

But he that sins against me wrongs his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

he

Proverbs 1:31
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

Proverbs 20:2
The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.

John 3:19,20
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil…

all

Proverbs 5:11,12,22,23
And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, …

Ezekiel 18:31
Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Ezekiel 33:11
Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

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Death Evil Fails Find Hate Haters Hating Injures Love Misses Missing Sinneth Sins Soul Violence Wrong Wronging Wrongs
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Death Evil Fails Find Hate Haters Hating Injures Love Misses Missing Sinneth Sins Soul Violence Wrong Wronging Wrongs
Proverbs 8
1. the fame
6. and evidence of wisdom
10. The excellence
12. the nature
15. the power
18. the riches
22. and the eternity of wisdom
32. Wisdom is to be desired for the blessedness it brings














But he who fails to find me
This phrase emphasizes the importance of seeking wisdom, personified here as a woman calling out to humanity. The Hebrew root for "fails to find" is "חָטָא" (chata), which can mean to miss, sin, or fail. In the context of Proverbs, wisdom is not merely intellectual knowledge but a divine attribute that guides moral and righteous living. The failure to find wisdom is not just an intellectual shortcoming but a moral and spiritual failure. Historically, wisdom literature in the ancient Near East often depicted wisdom as a treasure to be sought diligently, underscoring its value and necessity for a fulfilling life.

harms himself
The consequence of not finding wisdom is self-inflicted harm. The Hebrew word "חָמַס" (chamas) implies violence or wrong. This suggests that ignoring wisdom leads to self-destructive behavior. In a broader biblical context, this aligns with the principle that sin and folly lead to personal ruin. The self-harm here is not just physical but encompasses spiritual and emotional damage, reflecting the holistic nature of biblical wisdom that affects all aspects of life.

all who hate me
To "hate" wisdom is to reject it actively. The Hebrew word "שָׂנֵא" (sane) conveys a strong aversion or enmity. In the biblical worldview, hatred of wisdom is equated with rebellion against God, as wisdom is a divine attribute. This phrase highlights the moral choice individuals face: to embrace or reject the path of wisdom. Historically, this reflects the covenantal relationship between God and His people, where obedience leads to blessing and rebellion to curse.

love death
The stark contrast between loving wisdom and loving death underscores the life-and-death stakes of the choice. The Hebrew word for "death" is "מָוֶת" (maveth), which can refer to physical death or spiritual separation from God. In the biblical narrative, death is often the ultimate consequence of sin and folly. This phrase serves as a sobering reminder of the destructive end of a life lived apart from divine wisdom. It echoes the Deuteronomic choice between life and death, blessing and curse, urging the reader to choose life by embracing wisdom.

(36) He that sinneth against me.--Rather, He that misses me does not find me. So in Greek, sin (???????) is a "missing" of the true object of life.

Verse 36. - He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul. So Septuagint and Vulgate. And the truth stated is obvious - he who refuses to obey Wisdom, and transgresses her wholesome rules, will smart for it. Every sin involves punishment, injures the spiritual life, and demands satisfaction. But Delitzsch and others take חֹטְאִי, "my sinning one," "my sinner," in the older sense of "missing," as Job 5:24, the derived meaning of "sinning" springing naturally from the idea of deviating from the right way or failing to hit the mark. So here the translation will be "he who misseth me," which is a good contrast to "whoso findeth me," of ver. 35. He who takes a path which does not lead to wisdom is guilty of moral suicide. All that hate me love death (Proverbs 7:27). "He that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:36). They who will not hearken to Wisdom, and who scorn her counsels, do virtually love death, because they love the things and the practices which lead to death, temporal and spiritual Job 12:10, "They that sin are enemies to their own life" (comp. Wisd. 1:12).



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
but he who fails to find me
וְֽ֭חֹטְאִי (wə·ḥō·ṭə·’î)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 2398: To miss, to sin, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, lead astray, condemn

harms
חֹמֵ֣ס (ḥō·mês)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 2554: To treat violently or wrong

himself;
נַפְשׁ֑וֹ (nap̄·šōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

who hate me
מְ֝שַׂנְאַ֗י (mə·śan·’ay)
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 8130: To hate

love
אָ֣הֲבוּ (’ā·hă·ḇū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 157: To have affection f

death.”
מָֽוֶת׃ (mā·weṯ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4194: Death, the dead, their place, state, pestilence, ruin


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 8:36 But he who sins against me wrongs (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 8:35
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