What is…
“admonish” in the Bible

  1. rebuke: to rebuke somebody mildly but earnestly

  2. advise: to advise somebody to do or, more often, not to do something

[14th century. Anglicization of Old French amonester from assumed Vulgar Latin admonere, from Latin monere to warn (source of English “monitor”).]

The word admonish appears 9 times in the King James Version (Ecclesiastes 4:13 KJV; 12:12 KJV; Acts 27:9 KJV; Romans 15:14 KJV; Colossians 3:16 KJV; 1 Thessalonians 5:12 KJV; 2 Thessalonians 3:15 KJV; Hebrews 8:5 KJV).

Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished. —Ecclesiastes 4:13 KJV

A more modern translation is found in the Legacy Standard Bible…

A poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive warning. —Ecclesiastes 4:13 LSB

Article Version: April 27, 2022