The ear that heareth the {i} reproof of life abideth among the wise.

(i) That suffers himself to be admonished by God's word, which brings life: and so amends.

Wesley's Notes

15:31 The ear - The man that hearkens to that reproof which leads to life, seeks and delights in the company of the wise.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

31, 32. (Compare Pr 10:17).

reproof of life-which leads to life.

abideth . wise-is numbered among them.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

15:29. God sets himself at a distance from those who set him at defiance. 30. How delightful to the humbled soul to hear the good report of salvation by the Lord Jesus Christ! 31. Faithful, friendly reproofs help spiritual life, and lead to eternal life. 32. Sinners undervalue their own souls; therefore they prefer the body before the soul, and wrong the soul to please the body. 33. The fear of the Lord will dispose us to search the Scriptures with reverence; and it will cause us to follow the leadings of the Holy Spirit. While we humbly place all our dependence on the grace of God, we are exalted in the righteousness of Christ.

Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary

Verse 31

Note, 1. It is the character of a wise man that he is very willing to be reproved, and therefore chooses to converse with those that, both by their words and example, will show him what is amiss in him: The ear that can take the reproof will love the reprover. Faithful friendly reproofs are here called the reproofs of life, not only because they are to be given in a lively manner, and with a prudent zeal (and we must reprove by our lives as well as by our doctrine), but because, where they are well-taken, they are means of spiritual life, and lead to eternal life, and (as some think) to distinguish them from rebukes and reproaches for well-doing, which are rather reproofs of death, which we must not regard nor be influenced by. 2. Those that are so wise as to bear reproof well will hereby be made wiser (ch. 9:9), and come at length to be numbered among the wise men of the age, and will have both ability and authority to reprove and instruct others. Those that learn well, and obey well, are likely in time to teach well and rule well.