Proverbs 1:5

In verse 5, two things stand out.

First, we meet a second character (perhaps the third), the one who is already wise. In verse 4, we met the simple person. Here, we meet presumably their counterpart, the wise person. Insistingly, the wise person is still told to hear. Wisdom appears to not have an end. By continuing to listen, they increase in their learning. That suggests that wisdom and learning are not the same thing. A person can be wise and still grow. In fact, it seems somewhat implied that the wise are expected to grow.

Second, the wise gain from reading the Proverbs just as much as the simple do. The simple become shrewd, but the wise deepen what they already have. No one outgrows the need for instruction. The difference is not whether someone needs wisdom, but whether they are willing to keep receiving it.

Ultimately, by reading the Proverbs, growth is the expectation, even for those already wise, not the exception. Whether someone is simple or already wise, both are called to listen. Wisdom is not a destination. It is something you continue to build. The one who keeps hearing is the one who keeps growing.