Bible Synapse
Should a fool be answered according to his folly?
Hard question · Psalms, wisdom and the prophets · raised by 3 of the lists sceptics circulate
See the passages joined in the interactive mapThe passages
“Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.”
Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
“Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.”
Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.
The objection
Two verses side by side give opposite commands: “Answer not a fool according to his folly” (Proverbs 26:4) and “Answer a fool according to his folly” (Proverbs 26:5).
The answer
The two sayings stand next to each other on purpose. Whoever collected the proverbs could not have missed the clash; it is there to make the reader think. A proverb is a short saying that fits certain situations, and wisdom is knowing which one a situation calls for. Each verse gives its own reason, and the reasons show what it means.
Verse 4 warns against answering a fool on his own terms, “lest thou also be like unto him”: do not trade insult for insult or argue in his spirit. Verse 5 urges an answer that meets his folly as it deserves, “lest he be wise in his own conceit”: when silence would leave him thinking he has won, or leave others misled, answer him plainly and expose the folly. The Hebrew ke, ‘according to’, can mean ‘in the manner of’ or ‘as befits’, and the old Greek translation already marks the difference, using different wording in each line and joining them with ‘but’. Jewish teachers in the Talmud also discussed the pair and decided that the verses apply to different cases (Shabbat 30b).
From the classic commentators
See here the noble security of the scripture-style, which seems to contradict itself, but really does not. Wise men have need to be directed how to deal with fools; and they have never more need of wisdom than in dealing with such, to know when to keep silence and when to speak, for there may be a time for both.Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible, on Proverbs 26:4–5
after, or according to his folly, is this second time equivalent to, as is due to his folly: decidedly and firmly rejecting it, making short work with it (returning a sharp answer)Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, on Proverbs 26:5
Sources
- Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible: Proverbs 26, at Bible Hub
- Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament: Proverbs 26, at Bible Hub
- The Septuagint (Brenton edition), Proverbs 26 (HelloAO)
- Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 30b, at Sefaria