Do Not Answer a Fool According to His Folly

This chapter contains three main topics: fools, lazy man, causing strife. The topic on fools cover the first 12 verses, some which are quite explicit; eg "As a dog returns to his own vomit, So a fool repeats his folly". It urges us not to be a fool and not to associate with a fool because both can have drastic consequences to ourselves. One warning that are the same for both fools and the lazy man is that those who think themselves as wise are worse than both a fool or a lazy man. The topic on the lazy man has 4 verses.

The last topic which is warning against being a talebearer or gossiper has another 12 verses, perhaps emphasising its importance. A talebearer in general is more malicious than a gossiper because he goes around telling lies with the purpose of causing strife. A talebearer is likened to wood or charcoal which sustains the fire to burn on. Hatred may also be the motivation of the talebearer and although hatred can be hidden, the wicked deeds that follow, will be seen by everyone.


Proverbs 26
1 As snow in summer and rain in harvest,
So honor is not fitting for a fool.

2 Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow,
So a curse without cause shall not alight.

3 A whip for the horse,
A bridle for the donkey,
And a rod for the fool’s back.

4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
Lest you also be like him.

5 Answer a fool according to his folly,
Lest he be wise in his own eyes.

6 He who sends a message by the hand of a fool
Cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.

7 Like the legs of the lame that hang limp
Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

8 Like one who binds a stone in a sling
Is he who gives honor to a fool.

9 Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard
Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

10 The great God who formed everything
Gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages.[a]

11 As a dog returns to his own vomit,
So a fool repeats his folly.

12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.

13 The lazy man says, “There is a lion in the road!
A fierce lion is in the streets!”

14 As a door turns on its hinges,
So does the lazy man on his bed.

15 The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl;[b]
It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.

16 The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes
Than seven men who can answer sensibly.

17 He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own
Is like one who takes a dog by the ears.

18 Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death,

19 Is the man who deceives his neighbor,
And says, “I was only joking!”

20 Where there is no wood, the fire goes out;
And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.

21 As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire,
So is a contentious man to kindle strife.

22 The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles,
And they go down into the inmost body.

23 Fervent lips with a wicked heart
Are like earthenware covered with silver dross.

24 He who hates, disguises it with his lips,
And lays up deceit within himself;

25 When he speaks kindly, do not believe him,
For there are seven abominations in his heart;

26 Though his hatred is covered by deceit,
His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.

27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
And he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.

28 A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it,
And a flattering mouth works ruin.

Do Not Rejoice When Your Enemy Falls, And Do Not Let Your Heart Be Glad When He Stumbles;

Much of this chapter deals with doing right and good and avoid evil deeds or wickedness. The former way of life is pleasing to the Lord and brings blessings and favour, while the latter brings sin and condemnation.

In addition of doing the right things, this chapter also teaches not to be self-righteous over evil doers or our enemies. Very importantly, if our enemies who are evil do fall, we are not to rejoice in it. Some verses are:

17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;
18 Lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, And He turn away His wrath from him.
19 Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the wicked;


The verse 29 below clearly shows that even before Jesus thought against seeking vengeance, Proverbs in the Old Testament also mentions this. It clearly shows that the "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" is not meant to be a universal principle of vengeance or vigilantism.

29 Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.”


Lazy man - Verse 30 onwards is about not being lazy. It states the seductiveness of being complacent and also describes the consequences that follow.

evil, heart, wisdom, schemer, fool, strength, abomination, wicked, righteous, curse, lazy, slumber, poverty


Proverbs 24
1 Do not be envious of evil men,
Nor desire to be with them;

2 For their heart devises violence,
And their lips talk of troublemaking.

3 Through wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established;

4 By knowledge the rooms are filled
With all precious and pleasant riches.

5 A wise man is strong,
Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength;

6 For by wise counsel you will wage your own war,
And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.

7 Wisdom is too lofty for a fool;
He does not open his mouth in the gate.

8 He who plots to do evil
Will be called a schemer.

9 The devising of foolishness is sin,
And the scoffer is an abomination to men.

10 If you faint in the day of adversity,
Your strength is small.

11 Deliver those who are drawn toward death,
And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.

12 If you say, “Surely we did not know this,”
Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it?
He who keeps your soul, does He not know it?
And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?

13 My son, eat honey because it is good,
And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste;

14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul;
If you have found it, there is a prospect,
And your hope will not be cut off.

15 Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous;
Do not plunder his resting place;

16 For a righteous man may fall seven times
And rise again,
But the wicked shall fall by calamity.

17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;

18 Lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him,
And He turn away His wrath from him.

19 Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the wicked;

20 For there will be no prospect for the evil man;
The lamp of the wicked will be put out.

21 My son, fear the Lord and the king;
Do not associate with those given to change;

22 For their calamity will rise suddenly,
And who knows the ruin those two can bring?

Further Sayings of the Wise
23 These things also belong to the wise:
It is not good to show partiality in judgment.

24 He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
Him the people will curse;
Nations will abhor him.

25 But those who rebuke the wicked will have delight,
And a good blessing will come upon them.

26 He who gives a right answer kisses the lips.

27 Prepare your outside work,
Make it fit for yourself in the field;
And afterward build your house.

28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause,
For would you deceive[a] with your lips?

29 Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me;
I will render to the man according to his work.”

30 I went by the field of the lazy man,
And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding;

31 And there it was, all overgrown with thorns;
Its surface was covered with nettles;
Its stone wall was broken down.

32 When I saw it, I considered it well;
I looked on it and received instruction:

33 A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest;

34 So shall your poverty come like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man.

Do Not Love Sleep, Lest You Come To Poverty

There have been previous chapters including this one, which references a king in the sayings. Apart from a general king, this king may also be regarded as the King of Kings, our Lord. The verses in this chapter are:

2 The wrath[a] of a king is like the roaring of a lion; Whoever provokes him to anger sins against his own life.
8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment, Scatters all evil with his eyes.
26 A wise king sifts out the wicked, And brings the threshing wheel over them.
28 Mercy and truth preserve the king, And by lovingkindness he upholds his throne.

Some verses on our self-righteousness, which amounts to nothing:
6 Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, But who can find a faithful man?

9 Who can say, “I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin”?

10 Diverse weights and diverse measures, They are both alike, an abomination to the Lord.
11 Even a child is known by his deeds, Whether what he does is pure and right.

Verses which warns against laziness:
4 The lazy man will not plow because of winter; He will beg during harvest and have nothing.
13 Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty; Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread.



Proverbs 20
1 Wine is a mocker,
Strong drink is a brawler,
And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

2 The wrath[a] of a king is like the roaring of a lion;
Whoever provokes him to anger sins against his own life.

3 It is honorable for a man to stop striving,
Since any fool can start a quarrel.

4 The lazy man will not plow because of winter;
He will beg during harvest and have nothing.

5 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water,
But a man of understanding will draw it out.

6 Most men will proclaim each his own goodness,
But who can find a faithful man?

7 The righteous man walks in his integrity;
His children are blessed after him.

8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment
Scatters all evil with his eyes.

9 Who can say, “I have made my heart clean,
I am pure from my sin”?

10 Diverse weights and diverse measures,
They are both alike, an abomination to the Lord.

11 Even a child is known by his deeds,
Whether what he does is pure and right.

12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
The Lord has made them both.

13 Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty;
Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread.

14 “It is good for nothing,”[b] cries the buyer;
But when he has gone his way, then he boasts.

15 There is gold and a multitude of rubies,
But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

16 Take the garment of one who is surety for a stranger,
And hold it as a pledge when it is for a seductress.

17 Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,
But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.

18 Plans are established by counsel;
By wise counsel wage war.

19 He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets;
Therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips.

20 Whoever curses his father or his mother,
His lamp will be put out in deep darkness.

21 An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning
Will not be blessed at the end.

22 Do not say, “I will recompense evil”;
Wait for the Lord, and He will save you.

23 Diverse weights are an abomination to the Lord,
And dishonest scales are not good.

24 A man’s steps are of the Lord;
How then can a man understand his own way?

25 It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy,
And afterward to reconsider his vows.

26 A wise king sifts out the wicked,
And brings the threshing wheel over them.

27 The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord,
Searching all the inner depths of his heart.[c]

28 Mercy and truth preserve the king,
And by lovingkindness he upholds his throne.

29 The glory of young men is their strength,
And the splendor of old men is their gray head.

30 Blows that hurt cleanse away evil,
As do stripes the inner depths of the heart.[d]

The Ransom of a Man’s Life is his Riches

As previous chapters this proverbs has sayings which contrasts between the righteous and the wicked. But in addition, the other main contrasts is between those who seek riches versus those who don't. It is said that riches can be a ransom to a man. There are also other contrasts between a prudent man, those who follow after the wise, and the hardworking one. The contrasts are those who are wasteful, who despises wisdom and those who covet but do not labour for it.



Proverbs 13

1 A wise son heeds his father’s instruction,
But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.

2 A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth,
But the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence.

3 He who guards his mouth preserves his life,
But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.

4 The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing;
But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.

5 A righteous man hates lying,
But a wicked man is loathsome and comes to shame.

6 Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless,
But wickedness overthrows the sinner.

7 There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing;
And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches.

8 The ransom of a man’s life is his riches,
But the poor does not hear rebuke.

9 The light of the righteous rejoices,
But the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

10 By pride comes nothing but strife,
But with the well-advised is wisdom.

11 Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished,
But he who gathers by labor will increase.

12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.

13 He who despises the word will be destroyed,
But he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.

14 The law of the wise is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from the snares of death.

15 Good understanding gains favor,
But the way of the unfaithful is hard.

16 Every prudent man acts with knowledge,
But a fool lays open his folly.

17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble,
But a faithful ambassador brings health.

18 Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction,
But he who regards a rebuke will be honored.

19 A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul,
But it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil.

20 He who walks with wise men will be wise,
But the companion of fools will be destroyed.

21 Evil pursues sinners,
But to the righteous, good shall be repaid.

22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.

23 Much food is in the fallow ground of the poor,
And for lack of justice there is waste.[a]

24 He who spares his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.

25 The righteous eats to the satisfying of his soul,
But the stomach of the wicked shall be in want.