What is the meaning of Proverbs 18:3?

With a wicked man comes contempt as well

- Solomon teaches that the presence of a person committed to evil never arrives alone; it drags along an attitude of scorn that mocks God-given standards (Psalm 1:1; Proverbs 24:9).

- Contempt here points to open disrespect—laughing at correction, belittling righteousness, sneering at authority (2 Peter 3:3).

- This contempt spreads through a community like yeast, emboldening others to treat holiness lightly (1 Corinthians 5:6).

- “With” signals inevitability: when a heart turns wicked, contempt is not optional; it rides in the same carriage (Proverbs 21:24).

- God’s order is unshakable—sin corrupts character, and corrupted character expresses itself in contempt (Romans 1:28-30).

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and shame is accompanied by disgrace

- The second line intensifies the first: when shame appears, disgrace trails right behind, doubling the fallout (Proverbs 11:2; 13:5).

- Shame speaks to inward guilt; disgrace is its public echo—what happens in the soul eventually shows up in reputation (Job 18:5-7).

- Scripture repeatedly links sin to disgrace: “When pride comes, then comes disgrace” (Proverbs 11:2). Hidden wickedness cannot stay hidden; God ensures exposure (Numbers 32:23; Luke 12:2-3).

- Disgrace is not merely social embarrassment; it is God-ordained consequence, a megaphone warning others away from the same path (Isaiah 3:9; Proverbs 26:11).

- The parallelism strengthens the lesson: contempt leads to shame; shame leads to disgrace; sin always travels with ugly companions (James 1:14-15).

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summary

Proverbs 18:3 portrays a moral chain reaction: embrace wickedness and you invite contempt; let contempt settle and you reap shame that spills into open disgrace. The verse urges a clean break from sin before the spiral begins and points us to the contrasting path of righteousness that brings honor, peace, and lasting joy (Proverbs 3:35; Romans 6:22).