‘A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.’ Proverbs 22:3 Proverbs 22:3 highlights one of the clearest distinctions Scripture makes between wisdom and folly. Prudence is not fearfulness, but spiritual awareness. The prudent person discerns danger ahead and responds with humility and restraint, while the simple ignore warning signs, driven by impulse or naivety, and suffer consequences that could have been avoided. This principle appears repeatedly throughout the Bible. Proverbs earlier states, “The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness.” Jesus echoed this truth when He warned, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass.” Wisdom in Scripture is never passive; it is alert, watchful, and responsive to truth. God often provides warnings through His Word, through counsel, and through circumstances, but only the humble receive them. The phrase foreseeth the evil does not mean predicting the future, but recognizing patterns and consequences. Galatians teaches, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” The prudent man understands that sin carries a harvest, compromise leads somewhere, and small decisions shape large outcomes. He hides himself not in cowardice, but in obedience—by fleeing temptation, avoiding ungodly counsel, and setting boundaries before the moment of testing arrives. In contrast, the simple pass on. Scripture does not describe them as malicious, but unguarded and unteachable. They move forward without reflection, dismissing correction, and assuming outcomes will somehow work out. Proverbs warns that this mindset leads to punishment, not because God is harsh, but because reality is moral. Choices have weight. Ignored warnings eventually become lived consequences. Practically, Proverbs 22:3 calls for intentional living. It urges believers to seek wisdom early, heed instruction, and act before disaster strikes rather than after. Whether in spiritual life, relationships, finances, or habits, foresight is an expression of reverence for God. Those who walk prudently do not merely avoid harm; they align themselves with God’s protective wisdom, finding that obedience often spares them from pain the simple never saw coming.