💡WEB · Proverbs 18:3
What does Proverbs 18:3 mean?
"When wickedness comes, contempt also comes, and with shame comes disgrace."
— Proverbs 18:3 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
An unfriendly man pursues selfishness, and defies all sound judgment.
A fool has no delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own opinion.
When wickedness comes, contempt also comes, and with shame comes disgrace.
The words of a man’s mouth are like deep waters. The fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook.
To be partial to the faces of the wicked is not good, nor to deprive the innocent of justice.
A fool’s lips come into strife, and his mouth invites beatings.
Explanation
Proverbs 18:3 makes a simple observation about moral cause and effect: wickedness doesn't travel alone. When a person embraces wicked behavior, contempt follows close behind — meaning that person becomes an object of scorn, disrespect, or low regard from others. Similarly, shame and disgrace are paired together; one leads naturally to the other. The verse describes a kind of package deal, where sinful conduct inevitably drags along its social and personal consequences.
This proverb belongs to the larger book of Proverbs, traditionally attributed to Solomon, though the book as a whole reflects the accumulated wisdom of Israel's sages compiled over time for the instruction of the young and inexperienced, particularly within the royal court and broader community. Proverbs frequently uses this kind of paired, cause-and-effect structure to teach practical wisdom about how life actually works under God's moral order. The genre isn't primarily prophetic or doctrinal — it's observational wisdom, meant to train perception and character by pointing out patterns that consistently hold true in human experience.
Theologically, the verse reflects the biblical conviction that the moral universe has built-in consequences — sin doesn't just offend God abstractly, it corrodes reputation, relationships, and community standing. This fits the broader Proverbs theme that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," and that wise living aligns with the created order, while foolish or wicked living works against it and produces predictable fallout. The verse also implies a social dimension to sin: wick
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