John Gill Commentary Proverbs 14:7

"Go into the presence of a foolish man, And thou shalt not perceive [in him] the lips of knowledge." — Proverbs 14:7 (ASV)

Go from the presence of a foolish man
A wicked one; avoid him, shun his company, depart from him, have no fellowship with him, it, being dangerous, infectious, and hurtful; when you perceive not [in him] the lips of knowledge ;
when it is observed that his lips pour out foolishness, what is corrupt and unsavoury, unchaste and filthy; what does not minister grace to the hearers, nor is for the use of edifying, nor any ways improving in useful knowledge, but all the reverse: the Targum is, ``for there is no knowledge in his lips,'' in what is expressed by them;

some understand this ironically, and render the words thus, "go right against a foolish man" ^F6 ; join in company with him, "and you shall not know the lips of knowledge", or learn anything by him; if you have a mind to be ignorant, keep company with a foolish man; so Jarchi and Gersom: or rather to this sense the words may be rendered, "go to a foolish man, seeing you know not the lips of knowledge" ^F7 , since you do not approve of wise and knowing men, whose lips would teach knowledge; and despise the Gospel, and Gospel ministers the pope of Rome, as Cocceius on the text serves, and hear him, what his holiness and infallibility says; or some other false teacher.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F6: lyok vyal dgnm kl ) "e regione viri stulti", De Dieu; so Gussetius, p. 495. and Schultens
• F7: "Abi ut stes cora in viro stolido", Cocceius.