--- title: "Proverbs 18 - Study King James Bible with pooles english annotations on the holy bible" description: "Read Proverbs 18 with pooles english annotations on the holy bible commentary. 1 Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom. 2 A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart" image: "/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg" url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/pooles-english-annotations-on-the-holy-bible/proverbs/18" --- [ Read](/kjv/proverbs/18)[ Commentary](/study/proverbs/18)[ Interlinear](/interlinear/proverbs/18) Audio 1 Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh *and* intermeddleth with all wisdom.* 2 A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself. 3 When the wicked cometh, *then* cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach. 4 The words of a man’s mouth *are as* deep waters, *and* the wellspring of wisdom *as* a flowing brook. 5 *It is* not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment. 6 A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. 7 A fool’s mouth *is* his destruction, and his lips *are* the snare of his soul. 8 The words of a talebearer *are* as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.*** 9 He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster. 10 The name of the LORD *is* a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.* 11 The rich man’s wealth *is* his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit. 12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour *is* humility. 13 He that answereth a matter before he heareth *it*, it *is* folly and shame unto him.* 14 The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear? 15 The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge. 16 A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men. 17 *He that is* first in his own cause *seemeth* just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him. 18 The lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty. 19 A brother offended *is harder to be won* than a strong city: and *their* contentions *are* like the bars of a castle. 20 A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; *and* with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. 21 Death and life *are* in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. 22 *Whoso* findeth a wife findeth a good *thing*, and obtaineth favour of the LORD. 23 The poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly. 24 A man *that hath* friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend *that* sticketh closer than a brother. [Proverbs 17](/study/proverbs/17) [Proverbs 19](/study/proverbs/19) ## Commentary To verse 1 According to this interpretation the sense is, **Through desire** (of it, to wit of wisdom, which is easily understood out of the end of the verse; such ellipses being frequent in Scripture) **a man, having separated himself,**( being sequestered from the company, and noise, and business of the world, betaking himself to retirement and solitude, as men do that apply themselves to any serious study.) **seeketh** and **intermeddleth with all wisdom,**i.e. useth all diligence, that he may search and find out all solid knowledge and true wisdom. And this earnest desire and endeavour to get true wisdom within a man’s self is fitly opposed to the fool’s contempt of wisdom, or to his desire of it, not for use and benefit, but only for vain ostentation, which is expressed in the next verse, although coherence is little regarded by interpreters in the several verses and proverbs of this book. But this verse is otherwise rendered in the margin of our English Bible, and by divers others, *He that separateth himself*, (either, 1. From his friend; or rather, 2. From other men; who affects singularity, is wedded to his own opinion, and through self-conceit despiseth the opinions and conversation of others,) seeketh according to his desire, (seeketh to gratify his own inclinations and affections, and chooseth those opinions which most comply with them,) and *intermeddleth* (for this word is used in a bad sense, [Proverbs 17:14](/kjv/proverbs/17/14); [Proverbs 20:3](/kjv/proverbs/20/3), and it is not found elsewhere, save in this place) in every business, as proud and singular persons are commonly pragmatical, delighting to find faults in others, that they may get some reputation to themselves by it. Heb. *in every thing that is*; thrusting themselves into the actions and affairs of other men. Or, as this last clause is and may be rendered, and *contendeth* (Heb. *mingleth himself*; for words of that signification are commonly used for *contending* or *fighting*, as [Deuteronomy 2:5](/kjv/deuteronomy/2/5),[Deuteronomy 2:9](/kjv/deuteronomy/2/9),[Deuteronomy 2:19](/kjv/deuteronomy/2/19); [Isaiah 36:8](/kjv/isaiah/36/8); [Daniel 11:10](/kjv/daniel/11/10)) *with* or *against* (for the Hebrew prefix *beth* oft signifies *against*) *all reason or wisdom*; whatsoever any man speaketh against his opinion and desire, though it be never so reasonable and evident, he rejecteth it, and obstinately maintains his own opinion. ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com","name":"Real Bible Believers","description":"RBB","publisher":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/search?q={search_term_string}","query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/pooles-english-annotations-on-the-holy-bible/proverbs/18#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg","width":672,"height":448,"caption":"Real Bible Believers"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/pooles-english-annotations-on-the-holy-bible/proverbs/18#webpage","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/pooles-english-annotations-on-the-holy-bible/proverbs/18","name":"Proverbs 18 - Study King James Bible with pooles english annotations on the holy bible","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/pooles-english-annotations-on-the-holy-bible/proverbs/18#primaryimage"},"author":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"description":"Read Proverbs 18 with pooles english annotations on the holy bible commentary. 1 Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom. 2 A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/pooles-english-annotations-on-the-holy-bible/proverbs/18#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/pooles-english-annotations-on-the-holy-bible/proverbs/18"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/pooles-english-annotations-on-the-holy-bible/proverbs/18#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","name":"Home"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study","name":"Study Bible"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/pooles-english-annotations-on-the-holy-bible","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/pooles-english-annotations-on-the-holy-bible","name":"pooles english annotations on the holy bible"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/pooles-english-annotations-on-the-holy-bible/proverbs","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/pooles-english-annotations-on-the-holy-bible/proverbs","name":"Proverbs"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/pooles-english-annotations-on-the-holy-bible/proverbs/18","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/pooles-english-annotations-on-the-holy-bible/proverbs/18","name":"18"}}]},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","width":512,"height":512},"logo":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo"},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/RBiblebeliever","https://www.facebook.com/RBibleBelievers"]}]} ```