The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.

The wisdom of a. discreet man is to understand his way: and the imprudence of fools erreth.

The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way; but the folly of the foolish is deceit.

The wisdom of the man of good sense makes his way clear; but the unwise behaviour of the foolish is deceit.

The wisdom of the prudent is to look well to his way; But the folly of fools is deceit.

The wisdom of a discerning man is to understand his way. And the imprudence of the foolish is to be wandering astray.

The Hebrew counterpart to the Greek "Know thyself." "The highest wisdom is for a person to understand his own way. The most extreme folly is self-deceit." The word "deceit" may, however, involve fraud practiced upon others. The folly of fools shows itself then in their ceaseless effort to deceive.

Is to understand his way - Instead of הבין habin, to understand, הכין hachin, to Direct his way, is found in one MS. It makes a very good sense.

The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way,.... The way of his calling, in which he should abide, and how to manage it in the best manner; the way of his duty, that he may walk inoffensively both towards God and men; and the way of life and salvation, which is by Jesus Christ, which to understand and to walk in is the highest wisdom and prudence;
but the folly of fools is deceit: or "the wisdom of fools", which the opposition requires, and is meant, and is what the Holy Ghost calls "folly", as elsewhere, 1-Corinthians 3:19; this is itself "deceit"; it is science, falsely so called; it lies in tricking and deceiving; and the issue of it is, not only the deceiving of others, but themselves also: such is the folly of the man of sin and followers, which lies in deceiving the inhabitants of the earth with their sorceries and superstitions, with their lying wonders and miracles; see 2-Thessalonians 2:10, Revelation 13:14.

We are travellers, whose concern is, not to spy out wonders, but to get to their journey's end; to understand the rules we are to walk by, also the ends we are to walk toward. The bad man cheats himself, and goes on in his mistake.

Appearances deceive the thoughtless, but the prudent discriminate.

8 The wisdom of the prudent is to observe his way,
And the folly of fools is deceit.
The nearest idea is that of self-deceit, according to which the lxx, Syr., and Jerome render the word error ("Irrsal"). But מרמה is nowhere else used of self-deception, and moreover is not the suitable word for such an idea, since the conception of the dolus malus is constantly associated with it. Thus the contrast will be this: the wisdom of the prudent shows itself in this, that he considers his conduct (הבין as Proverbs 7:7, cf. Psalm 5:2), i.e., regulates it carefully, examining and considering (Proverbs 13:16) it according to right and duty; and that on the contrary the folly of fools shows itself in this, that they aim at the malevolent deception of their neighbour, and try all kinds of secret ways for the gaining of this end. The former is wisdom, because from the good only good comes; the latter is folly or madness, because deception, however long it may sneak in darkness, yet at last comes to light, and recoils in its destructive effects upon him from whom it proceeds.

His way - Consists not in vain speculations, but in a diligent study of his duty, and of the way to eternal happiness. The folly - The wit of ungodly men, which is really their folly, is employed only in finding out ways of deceiving.