SEV Biblia, Chapter 26:12
¶ ¿Has visto hombre sabio en su propia opinión? Más esperanza hay del loco que de él.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 12. Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit , etc.] Or “in his own eyes” f724 ; as multitudes may be seen, by looking round; man is a creature but of small knowledge in things natural, civil, mechanical, philosophical, moral, or divine; yet greatly conceited for the most part of his knowledge and wisdom. As by a “fool” in this book is generally understood a wicked profane man, so by a wise man is meant a good and righteous man, and may be so understood here; and many there are who are good and righteous only their own conceit and esteem, not truly so; they place their righteousness in outward things, in the observance of external duties; and though there may be some little imperfection in them, yet they think, as they mean well, God will accept the will for the deed: and some have imagined they have arrived to perfection; and such are generally conceited, proud, and haughty, and despise others; all which flows from ignorance; for, though they fancy themselves to be wise, they are very ignorant of themselves; of the plague of their own hearts; of the law of God, and the spirituality of it, and the extensiveness of its demands; of the strict justice and righteousness of God, which will not admit of an imperfect righteousness in the room of a perfect one; and also of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, the nature and necessity of that to justify: and this being their case, they are in very dangerous circumstances; they are building on a sand; they are liable to fall into a ditch; they cannot be justified nor saved by their own works; they oppose themselves to God’s way of justifying and saving sinners; and he sets himself against them, he resisteth the proud. Wherefore [there is] more hope of a fool than of him ; of a profane sinner than of a self-righteous person; for Christ came to save sinners, to call them to repentance, and he receives them as such; but not self-righteous persons; and, humanly speaking, there is a greater likelihood and greater hopes of convincing sinners, and bringing them to repentance and to forsake their sins, than there is of convincing a self-righteous man of the insufficiency of his righteousness, and the folly of trusting to it, and of bringing him to repent of such a confidence, and to forsake it; for it is most natural to him; it is his own, and the effect of great labour and pains; and encourages vanity and boasting, which would be excluded should he part with it; (see Matthew 21:31,32).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 12 - We see many a one who has some little sense, but is proud of it. Thi describes those who think their spiritual state to be good, when reall it is very bad.
Original Hebrew
ראית 7200 אישׁ 376 חכם 2450 בעיניו 5869 תקוה 8615 לכסיל 3684 ממנו׃ 4480
