chapter26

Honour for fool

As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool (Proverbs 26:1).

Snow in summer is dangerous for eathly habitation and for plants. Similarly rain in harvest destroys crops. So a fool does not deserve honour. A fool is one who says there is no God (Psalm 14:1).

Curse without cause

As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come (Proverbs 26:2).

A bird wanders from place to place and thus escapes the fowler, it's enemy. A dove also flies swiftly to escape it's enemy.

When a man curses another man without any cause but out of vengeance, the curse just flees without causing any harm to the person who has been cursed in a similar manner as the bird or the dove flies away in the sky. There is power in the words of a person who curses in deep anguish or in wrath. You should not harm an innocent person in a strife lest he should curse you from the depth of his heart.

Fools and their ways

Verses 3 to 12 are clubbed.

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back (Proverbs 26:3).

Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him (Proverbs 26:4).

Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit (Proverbs 26:5).

He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage (Proverbs 26:6).

The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools (Proverbs 26:7).

As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool (Proverbs 26:8).

As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouths of fools (Proverbs 26:9).

The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors (Proverbs 26:10).

As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly (Proverbs 26:11).

Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him (Proverbs 26:12).

A fool deserves a rod for all his folly. A foolish decision taken without examining its merits and demerits leads to disaster. The punishment for such foolishness has to be harsh so that such a foolish decision should not be taken in future. A whip for the horse makes it go straight. A bridle for the ass takes it in the right path. Rebuke for a foolish man has to be harsh.

We should learn how to deal with a fool when he speaks to you. At times, some people put some foolish questions to you to entangle you in a dispute. Do not answer him according to his folly. It is better to keep silence before him. If he asks you a foolish question with an ulterior motive, answer him back in the same foolish manner. If you answer him in the same foolish manner, he will become wise in his own eyes. In other words, he will learn to be wise. Solomon exhorts us to answer not a fool and then to answer him. You should know when to answer him or when to not answer (keep silence), depending upon the circumstances.

A messenger should send his message through the hand of a fool. It is better for him to cut off his feet rather than to use the services of a fool who cannot be trusted for conveying the message. The carrier of a message is as important as the messenger. The message gets diluted or falsified when the carrier is not faithful to the messenger. Nowadays, there are good news reporters but the channels or the newspapers carrying such messages do not convey their messages in original form. The reporters are forced to falsify their reports to suit the desires of the carriers.

A parable or a story to be conveyed through the mouth of a fool gets distorted. The legs of a lame are not equal. Similarly, the parable conveyed by the hand or the mouth of a fool does not become perfect like the legs of a lame person when it reaches the desired destination. A journalist has to be careful in ensuring that his message in original form reaches the audience without being diluted in its transit by the hand or the mouth of a fool.

Do not give honour to a fool. The stone in a sling does not remain in the sling but goes away once it is thrown. Likewise, the honour given to a fool does not last long. Do not depend upon the honor given to a fool. The fool may be a millionaire. The world gives him honour because of his money, not because of his wisdom.

The parable in the mouth of fools is also likened to a thorn pierceing the hand of a drunkard. The drunkard does not feel the pain of a thorn in his flesh. A fool also does not feel the pain or the afflictions of those people who were affected by his foolishness.

The great God rewards the fool and the transgressors who have worked with the fool. It is better for a truthful man not to associate himself with a fool in any business. When God punishes the fool, those who work with him also get rewarded and punished by God.

As the dog returns to its vomit, a fool returns to his folly. The fool who has not learnt to be honest or faithful cannot be corrected. Even if he pretends to be innocent or good, his true color is revealed ultimately. He returns to his folly even he has done some charity or good deeds just to fool the people around him. In this passage, a fool is considered as one who is not honest or faithful. If a fool has to become wise, he has to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Wisdom comes from above.

A man may look wise in his own eyes but he is not. He is deceived. But there is more hope of a fool than this man. A fool may get converted in his soul and become wise. But a prideful man who is wise in his own conceit is worse than a fool.

Slothful persons

Verses 13 to 16 are clubbed.

The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.

As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.

The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.

The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.

No slothful man is sincere in his work. He has some excuse for not doing his duty. He perceives dangers in his place of work. A door rests upon its hinges but does not move. Hinges cannot function independently without a door. They just lie in a store without any use. The lazy people are like that. They cannot do any work on their own but shirk their work on some pretext. The slothful person does not make use of his hand but hides it in his bosom. He feels sad to bring his hand with his spoon again to his mouth after he has gulped the food in his spoon on the first round.

The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit. He is completely deceived due to pride. There are many people with the riches of this world. But they are too slothful to take care of their riches. A group of seven men can judge an issue and give their reasoned judgment but a lazy man is a fool. Seven means completeness or perfection. But the lazy man presumes that he is wiser than the seven men by not working with his own hands or by not taking care of his vineyard or business.

Meddling with strife

He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears (Proverbs 26:17).

Be careful not to meddle yourself in any strife in which you are neither a party nor a witness. Do not take upon yourself a third party mediation on your own when you come across such a strife. This is like taking a dog by the ears. This does not apply to judgment in a dispute where you are entrusted with this work.

Mad man

Verses 18 and 19 are clubbed.

As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death, (Proverbs 26:18)

So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport? (Proverbs 26:19)

A mad man throws firebrands, arrows and death to destroy his neighbour who is at peace. He deceives his neighbour and harms him with dangerous plots. When he is caught redhanded, he takes the plea that he has done this as a sport. In the eyes of God, this man is mad because he hatches conspiracies to deceive his neighbour who has not harmed him in any manner.

Talebearer

Verses 20 to 22 are clubbed.

Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth (Proverbs 26:20).

As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife (Proverbs 26:21).

The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly (Proverbs 26:22).

A strife arises because of a talebearer who twists facts and feeds a false tale to make it true. If there is no wood to feed a fire, the fire goes out.

A talebearer sets an entire society on fire by his tale. He is a rumour monger. He is the most dangerous person in the society.

The talebearer is a contentious man to kindle strife in a society or a nation. He casts fresh coals into an inferno of burning coals. The audience who believes in a tale receive the false story in their hearts and believe the same. Words of talebearing are very dangerous as wounds as these affect the whole society or the nation.

Wicked heart and hatred

Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross (Proverbs 26:23).

He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him; (Proverbs 26:24)

When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart (Proverbs 26:25).

Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation (Proverbs 26:26).

A potsherd is a fragment or piece of broken pottery – dross is the worthless material that is removed from the silver when it is refined (it’s lead or tin or something like that). Harsh words emanating from lips burn the heart of the audience. A heart full of wickedness is an abomination in the eyes of God. Words of wickedness come from a wicked heart.

A man who hates others conceals his intent to deceive and stores it inside his heart. Conspiracies are made in the heart of a wicked man.

When this man seaks fair, you should not believe him. There are seven abominations in his heart. Seven abominations are those wicked thoughts in a full circle. There is no iota of goodness in his heart. You have to flee from this person.

Digging pit

Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him (Proverbs 26:27).

A man who diges a pit for others falls himself into the pit. Similarly, one who rolls a stone to harm others gets hit by the same stone.

Lying tongue

A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin (Proverbs 26:28).

A lying tongue hates those who hear it and affects them. You should discern the lying tongue which is an abomination in the eyes of God. Discern and flee from the lying tongue lest you should get deceived. The moment you lend your ears to this tongue you will get deceived. Similarly, a flattering mouth ruins your life. But you should accept a rebuke by a righteous person which will save your life from disaster.