The Meaning of Proverbs 1:29 Explained

Proverbs 1:29

KJV: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

YLT: Because that they have hated knowledge, And the fear of Jehovah have not chosen.

Darby: Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of Jehovah;

ASV: For that they hated knowledge, And did not choose the fear of Jehovah:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For that they hated  knowledge,  and did not choose  the fear  of the LORD: 

What does Proverbs 1:29 Mean?

Study Notes

fear
Also; Proverbs 1:7 .
fear of the Lord
The "fear of the Lord," a phrase of the O.T. piety, meaning reverential trust, with hatred of evil.

Context Summary

Proverbs 1:20-33 - The Call Of Wisdom
The word Wisdom and the description of her standing atthe head of the noisy streets-see Proverbs 1:21, r.v., margin-remind us of our Lord, who, as the Word of God, stood and cried, John 7:37. It is a remarkable picture of the world as it is today. The streets filled with traffickers, with the bawling of wares, with the crowds of idle sightseers, and amid it all the ringing appeal of Christ to the heart of man! But the scorners deride and mock, while fools hate the speaker and threaten his life. Yet there is no crowded thoroughfare in the world from which the Spirit of God is absent. See Matthew 22:1-10.
The two results that divide the hearers are set forth in words that are always receiving verification. The day of calamity, when banks suspend payment, and the boldest speculators lose heart, breaks suddenly on the worldling. He has no hiding-place, no second line of defense, no spiritual treasure; and is like a drowning sailor in a tempestuous sea. But "Wisdom is justified of all her children," for they dwell safely. See Proverbs 1:33 and Luke 7:35. [source]

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 1

1  The use of the proverbs
7  An exhortation to fear God, and believe his word
10  to avoid the enticing of sinners
20  Wisdom complains of her contempt
24  She threatens her contemners

What do the individual words in Proverbs 1:29 mean?

Because that they hated knowledge and the fear of Yahweh not did choose
תַּ֭חַת כִּי־ שָׂ֣נְאוּ דָ֑עַת וְיִרְאַ֥ת יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה לֹ֣א בָחָֽרוּ

תַּ֭חַת  Because 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
כִּי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
שָׂ֣נְאוּ  they  hated 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׂנֵא  
Sense: to hate, be hateful.
דָ֑עַת  knowledge 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: דַּעַת 
Sense: knowledge.
וְיִרְאַ֥ת  and  the  fear 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יִרְאָה  
Sense: fear, terror, fearing.
יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
בָחָֽרוּ  did  choose 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: בָּחוּר 
Sense: to choose, elect, decide for.