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Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

Proverbs 26:4,5

Two sides of a truth. To “answer a fool according to his folly” is in Proverbs 26:4 to bandy words with him, to descend to his level of coarse anger and vile abuse; in Proverbs 26:5 it is to say the right word at the right time, to expose his unwisdom and untruth to others and to himself, not by a teaching beyond his reach, but by words that he is just able to apprehend. The apparent contradiction between the two verses led some of the rabbis to question the canonical authority of this book. The Pythagoreans had maxims expressing a truth in precepts seemingly contradictory.

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See also Proverbs 26:4,5 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Proverbs 26:4. _ANSWER NOT A FOOL_] On this and the following verse Bishop _Warburton_, who has written well on many things, and very indifferently on the doctrine of grace, has written with fo...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 26 CONCERNING THE FOOL AND THE SLUGGARD Eleven times we meet the word fool in this chapter. Three different words are used in the Hebrew for fool. The first is “avil” which signifies weakness....

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    THE BOOK OF FOOLS. A section containing a series of synthetic couplets dealing with folly (except Proverbs 26:2). The text is unusually corrupt and defective. PROVERBS 26:1. For the opposite use of s...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    ANSWER NOT. The point of Proverbs 26:3 is that you cannot reason with. fool; Proverbs 26:4 gives the reason. If you answer not according to his folly, he will think he is wise like yourself. If you do...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _according to_ Let not your answer be according to his folly in foolishness; but let it be according to it in appositeness....

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    ANSWER NOT A FOOL, &C.— They who choose to review antiquity, in its antique garb, will observe, that had the folly of these fools been only of one condition or denomination, then the advice to _answer...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    CHAPTER 26 TEXT Proverbs 26:1-9 1. As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, So honor is not seemly for a fool. 2. As a sparrow in her wandering, as the swallow in her flying, So the curse that...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    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 - by answering taunt with taunt, angry sneer wi...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    FOOLS. SLUGGARDS. TALKERS 1-12. The vv. refer chiefly to fools....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    LESSONS ABOUT WISDOM PROVERBS _KEITH SIMONS_ CHAPTER 26 V1 Snow should not fall in summer. Rain should not fall during the harvest....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    The fool is an evil man who hates your wise words. Solomon uses humour here, because verse 4 is the opposite of verse 5. But both verses are correct. Verse 4 The fool hates wisdom. So his words are f...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    ANSWER NOT A FOOL. — Comp. Proverbs 1:22. ACCORDING TO HIS FOLLY. — Do not lower yourself by disputing or arguing with him; he will not take in your meaning, and will think he has got the better of yo...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    אַל ־תַּ֣עַן כְּ֭סִיל כְּ אִוַּלְתֹּ֑ו פֶּֽן...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 27 THE FOOL "As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honor is not seemly for a fool…A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the back of fools. Answer not a fool accord...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Verse Proverbs 26:2. Therefore, if the heart knows that a curse is unjust it may rest in the certainty that it cannot harm. Verses Proverbs 26:3. In this group of proverbs the fool is the subject. The...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Answer not a fool (a) according to his folly, lest thou also be like him. (a) Consent not to him in his doings....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Answer not a fool, &c. Viz., so as to imitate him; but only so as to reprove his folly. (Challoner) --- If thou answer at all, (ver. 5.) do it to the purpose, and to prevent others from taking scanda...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 10 THROUGH 31. In chapter 10 begin the details which teach those who give ear how to avoid the snares into which the simple might fall, the path to be followe...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    ANSWER NOT A FOOL ACCORDING TO HIS FOLLY,.... Sometimes a fool, or wicked man, is not to be answered at all; as the ministers of Hezekiah answered not a word to Rabshakeh; nor Jeremiah the prophet to...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. Ver. 4. _Answer not a fool according to his folly._] When either he curseth thee, _as _ Pro 26:2 or cryeth out upon thee for...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Answer not a fool_, &c. _Answer a fool_, &c. These contrary directions are easily reconciled, by considering the difference of persons, times, places, and other circumstances, and of the manner of an...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Answer not a fool according to his folly, by putting oneself on a level with him in speech and actions, LEST THOU ALSO BE LIKE UNTO HIM, be placed in the same class with him by decent and intelligent...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    CONCERNING FOOLS AND SLUGGARDS...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    THIS SECONDCHAPTER of the series is clearly the Exodus section, the work of the enemy manifesting itself in various forms of opposition to the truth, beginning with foolishness and ending with hatred....

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    How can these contrary rules be reconciled, _answer_ him _not_, and _answer him_ ? ANSW. Easily, by considering the difference of persons, and times, and places, and other circumstances, and of the ma...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Proverbs 26:4 answer H6030 (H8799) fool H3684 folly H200 like H7737 (H8799) Proverbs 17:

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Warnings and instructions. CHARACTERS: God. CONCLUSION: (Principal lesson, Proverbs 26:20-25.) God gives us two ears and two eyes, but only one tongue. We should therefore see and hear mor...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Proverbs 26:1. _As snow in summer,_ which beats down the fruits; _and as rain in harvest,_ which causes the corn to shoot in the ear; so is honour incongruous to a fool. He shames his laurels, he wast...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool _ HONOUR PAID TO THE WICKED UNSEEMLY AND PERNICIOUS The respect which man pays his fellow is often grounded on reasons...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him _ ANSWERING A FOOL ACCORDING TO HIS FOLLY The ambiguity in these verses lies in the connecting words “according to,” which...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _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...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PROVERBS—NOTE ON PROVERBS 26:4 At first these verses seem to contradict each other. But the fact that they are grouped together shows they do not. Rather, they cover two situations. The reader must de...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— PROVERBS 26:3. To our English ideas, the whip and bridle are assigned respectively to the wrong animals, but it must be remembered that the Eastern ass is often quite as spirited an...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION PROVERBS 26:1 Certain proverbs concerning the fool (_kesil_),_ _with the exception, perhaps, of Proverbs 26:2 (see on Proverbs 1:22)....

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Shall we turn now to Proverbs 26:1-28 to begin our study this evening. The first twelve verses of Proverbs 26:1-28 we trust doesn't apply to any of you tonight, because it's sort of addressed towards...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Kings 12:14; 1 Kings 12:16; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 Peter 3:9; 2 Kings 14

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    According — So as to imitate his folly, by passionate or reproachful speeches....

  • When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties, Norman L. Geisler and Thomas Howe, 1960

    How can contradictory commands both be true? PROBLEM: Verse 4 says “Do not answer a fool according to his folly;” and verse 5 tells us to “Answer a fool according to his folly.” But this looks like a...

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