Proverbs 28:23

He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favor than he that flattereth with the tongue.
– Proverbs 28:23

This saying contrasts the immediate with the long term. The general tenor of wisdom is to consider the long view more than the short run. The word for rebuketh means give a corrective of some kind that could range from gentle to severe. It speaks of frankness as in Proverbs 27:5-6, which is preferable.

The contrast is with smoothness, or flattereth. Flattery is typically a cover for some ulterior motive (Proverbs 2:16; 7:5; 29:5). The thrust of the saying is not to the recipient of rebuke or flattery, but to the giver. Flattery may gain immediate favor, but it will not last (Proverbs 26:28).

Proverbs 13:1

Chapter 13 continues the first section of the Proverbs of Solomon. The proverbs in this chapter mainly have a two-line antithetical structure. The proverbs in this chapter touch on words, or speech, wealth and poverty, pride, parenting, and wisdom generally.

A wise son heareth his father’s instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.
– Proverbs 13:1

Training in wisdom begins at home with one’s parents. The word for instruction means discipline and so includes correction. A wise son is characterized as one who receives instruction and correction, which sets him at odds with a fool (Proverbs 15:5). The contrast is with a scorner, which is the hardest form of a fool, or the final progression of the fool. A scorner despises correction and hates those who try to correct him (Proverbs 9:7-8; 15:12). The word for rebuke means a chiding and is stronger than in the first phrase. The tenor of the proverb is that a son who chafes at the discipline of his father at home is on his way to becoming a scorner. Scorners ultimately find themselves scorned by God at the last (Proverbs 3:34).

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