Bible Strands
Proverbs 18:1
He who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound judgment.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — A wise teacher addresses a son in a collection of independent proverbs, each a compact observation on human behavior.
The words — נִפְרָד (nif.Rad) is Niphal, marking the separation as self-initiated; יִתְגַּלֵּעַ (yit.ga.La') is a violent verb meaning "he bursts out," not a mild disagreement.
The thread — Proverbs 20:3 pairs the same contrast: the wise resolve disputes, the fool quarrels. Ephesians 5:15 carries the "sound judgment" thread into the New Testament as walking wisely rather than unwise.
Why it lands — It names isolation as a choice driven by self-desire, not a neutral state, and places the isolated person in active opposition to the shared standard of judgment.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.
Cross-references
- Ephesians 5:15 Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
- Proverbs 2:1 My son, if you accept my words and hide my commandments within you,
- Proverbs 20:3 It is honorable for a man to resolve a dispute, but any fool will quarrel.
- Jeremiah 15:17 I never sat with the band of revelers, nor did I celebrate with them. Because Your hand was on me, I sat alone, for You have filled me with indignation.
- Proverbs 24:21 My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not associate with the rebellious.
- Jude 1:19 These are the ones who cause divisions, who are worldly and devoid of the Spirit.
- Mark 1:35 Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and went out to a solitary place to pray.
- Proverbs 14:10 The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares in its joy.
- Isaiah 26:8 Yes, we wait for You, O LORD; we walk in the path of Your judgments. Your name and renown are the desire of our souls.
- Exodus 33:16 For how then can it be known that Your people and I have found favor in Your sight, unless You go with us? How else will we be distinguished from all the other people on the face of the earth?”