And you neglected all my counsel
And did not want my reproof;
Verse 25 continues the explanation of the people’s rejection of Wisdom. They “neglected” her counsel and “did not want” her reproof. This ties directly back to verse 23, where Wisdom commanded, “Turn to my reproof,” and then promised to pour out her spirit and make her words known to those who turned. Here we see their response to that offer: they did not want her correction. Wisdom offered them the opportunity to turn, but they refused it.
There seems to be an important distinction between counsel and reproof. Counsel provides guidance about the path a person should take, while reproof confronts the person about the path they are already taking. They rejected both. They would neither accept Wisdom’s direction nor allow Wisdom to correct them. This makes their rejection comprehensive and complete. They did not want Wisdom to tell them where to go or tell them when they were wrong. In short, there was no willingness to turn, learn, or hear.
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