The Meaning of Proverbs 18:1 Explained

Proverbs 18:1

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

YLT: For an object of desire he who is separated doth seek, With all wisdom he intermeddleth.

Darby: He that separateth himself seeketh his pleasure, he is vehement against all sound wisdom.

ASV: He that separateth himself seeketh his own desire, And rageth against all sound wisdom.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Proverbs 18:1 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Evidently the intent Isaiah , "He who separates himself [1]" does so because he wants his own way and does not want others to restrain him. Such an approach runs counter to sound wisdom because we all need input from other people to make wise decisions. It is unwise to be antisocial in the schismatic sense of that word (cf. Genesis 13:11). [2]
". . . unfriendliness and unreasonableness are inseparable." [3]

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 18

1  A fool delights not in understanding

What do the individual words in Proverbs 18:1 mean?

Desire seeks his own a man who isolates himself against all wise judgment He rages
לְֽ֭תַאֲוָה יְבַקֵּ֣שׁ נִפְרָ֑ד בְּכָל־ תּ֝וּשִׁיָּ֗ה יִתְגַּלָּֽע

לְֽ֭תַאֲוָה  Desire 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תַּאֲוָה  
Sense: desire.
יְבַקֵּ֣שׁ  seeks  his  own 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּקַשׁ  
Sense: to seek, require, desire, exact, request.
נִפְרָ֑ד  a  man  who  isolates  himself 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: פָּרַד  
Sense: to separate, divide.
בְּכָל־  against  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
תּ֝וּשִׁיָּ֗ה  wise  judgment 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: תּוּשִׁיָּה  
Sense: wisdom, sound knowledge, success, sound or efficient wisdom, abiding success.
יִתְגַּלָּֽע  He  rages 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּלַע  
Sense: to expose, lay bare.