Proverbs 26:3-11

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back.

Aspects of a fool

Sin is folly. It sacrifices the spiritual for the material, the temporal for the eternal, the pure joys of immortality for the gratification of an hour.

I. He appears here as a servant. “A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back.” This proverb inverts our ideas. We should have said, “A bridle for the horse,” and “a whip for the ass.” But the Eastern asses have much of the fire of our blood horses, while the horses are often heavy and dull. Therefore the ass there requires the bridle, and the horse the whip--the one to accelerate, the other to restrain and guide activity. As the horse and the ass, in order to be used as the servants of man, require the application of force, so does the fool. “A rod for the fool’s back.” If a stubborn sinner is to be made the servant of society, coercion must be employed. Argument, persuasion, example; these moral appliances will affect him but little.

II. He appears here as a debater. “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou be like unto him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.” There is an apparent contradiction here, but it is only apparent. The negative means, we are not to debate with him in his style and spirit, and thus become like him. We are not to descend to his level of speech and temper. The positive means, that we are to answer him as his folly deserves. It may be by silence as well as speech. The fool talks; he is often a great debater.

III. He appears here as a messenger. The meaning of this is, “He who would trust a fool with a message might as well cut off his feet, for he will have vexation and maybe damage.” How careful should we be to entrust important business to trustworthy persons! Solomon himself drank damage, by employing an “industrious” servant, but a fool in wickedness, who “lifted up his hand against the king,” and spoiled his son of ten parts of his kingdom (1 Kings 11:26). Benhadad drank damage by sending a message by the hands of Hazael, who murdered his master when the way was opened for his own selfish purposes (2 Kings 8:8). Much of the business of life is carried on by messengers or agents. How much a mercantile firm suffers by improper representatives!

IV. He appears here as a teacher. “The legs of the lame are not equal, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.” It is not very uncommon to find fools sustaining the office and performing the functions of teachers. “They have a parable in their mouth.” The verses suggest two things concerning them as teachers--

1. That they appear very ridiculous. “The legs of the lame are not equal, so is a parable in the hands of fools.” The idea seems to be, as the cripple who desires to appear nimble and agile appears ridiculous in his lame efforts to walk, so the fool appears ridiculous in his efforts to teach.

2. As teachers, they are generally very mischievous. “As a thorn goeth up into the hand of the drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.” The idea is, that a fool handling the doctrines of wisdom is like a drunken man handling thorns. The besotted inebriate, not knowing what he is about, lays hold of the thorn and perforates his own nerves. The wise sayings in the mouth of a stupid man are self-condemnatory.

V. He appears here as a commissioner. “The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool and rewardeth transgressors.” The word “God” is not in the original. The margin is the more faithful translation--“A great man giveth all, and he hireth the fool; he hireth also transgressors.” The idea seems to be, that when worldly princes employ fools for the public service it is a source of anxiety and trouble to all good citizens. “The lesson has application from the throne downwards, through all the descriptions of subsidiary trusts. Extensive proprietors, who employ overseers of their tenants, or of those engaged in their manufactories, or mines, or whatever else be the description of their property, should see to the character of these overseers. Their power may be abused, and multitudes of workmen suffer, when the owner--the master--knows nothing of what is going on. But he ought to know. Many complainings and strikes, well or ill-founded, have their origin here.”

VI. He appears here as a reprobate. The emblem here is disgusting, but the thing signified is infinitely more so. Peter quotes this proverb (2 Peter 2:20). The wicked man often sickens at his wickedness, and then returns to it again. Thus Pharaoh returned from his momentary conviction (Exodus 8:8); Ahab from his pretended repentance (1 Kings 21:1.); Herod from his partial amendment (Mark 6:20). (D. Thomas, D. D.)