At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore (Ps. 16: 11)
Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: But he that hateth reproof is brutish.
Proverbs 12:1
Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid (ESV).
A characteristic feature of Hebrew wisdom literature is its parallelism. A theme is stated, and then it is stated over again, this time slightly differently. At other times, the second half of the parallel is a sharp contrast. But in both cases, the meaning of the second half amplifies or refines the meaning of the first half.
In this proverb, the framework is that of a contrast. The one who loves instruction is contrasted with the one who hates reproof, and the one who loves knowledge is contrasted with the one who is brutish. How does this help amplify the first part?
Well, clearly the love of instruction needs to include in it a love of reproof. Someone who wants to learn a ton without ever being corrected is someone who doesn’t really want to learn. Learning entails discipline, and discipline entails more than a few instances of “no, not that way.”
The acquisition of knowledge is not a frictionless enterprise. Not only so, but to overlook this truth is to betray yourself as being a brute and a blockhead. The word (baar) denotes someone who is senseless, one who is really thick. This means that the love of correction and discipline in the pursuit of knowledge is not a matter of nuance. This is not a dance of subtleties.
