Proverbs 26:12

26:12 Do you see ¹  a man wise in his own eyes? ² 

There is more hope for a fool ³  than for him.

Isaiah 5:21

5:21 Those who think they are wise are as good as dead, ⁴ 

those who think they possess understanding. ⁵ 

Romans 11:25

11:25 For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, ⁶  so that you may not be conceited: A partial hardening has happened to Israel ⁷  until the full number ⁸  of the Gentiles has come in.

Romans 12:16

12:16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. ⁹  Do not be conceited. ¹⁰ 

[26:12]  ¹ tn The verse simply uses a perfect tense. The meaning of the verse would be the same if this were interpreted as an affirmation rather than as an interrogative. The first line calls such a person to one’s attention.

[26:12]  ² tn Heb “in his own eyes” (so NAB, NASB, NIV).

[26:12]  ³ sn Previous passages in the book of Proverbs all but deny the possibility of hope for the fool. So this proverb is saying there is absolutely no hope for the self-conceited person, and there might be a slight hope for the fool – he may yet figure out that he really is a fool.

[5:21]  ⁴ tn Heb “Woe [to] the wise in their own eyes.” See the note at v. 8.

[5:21]  ⁵ tn Heb “[who] before their faces are understanding.”

[11:25]  ⁶ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:13.

[11:25]  ⁷ tn Or “Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.”

[11:25]  ⁸ tn Grk “fullness.”

[12:16]  ⁹ tn Or “but give yourselves to menial tasks.” The translation depends on whether one takes the adjective “lowly” as masculine or neuter.

[12:16]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “Do not be wise in your thinking.”