Chapter 26

1–12. Against foolishness, its manifestations and consequences. 13–16. Against laziness. 17–19. Against immoderate jesting. 20–28. Against cunning, lies, and treachery.

Proverbs 26:1. As snow in summer and rain at harvest, so honor is unsuitable for a fool. 2. As a sparrow flutters, as a swallow flies away, so an undeserved curse does not come about. 3. A whip for a horse, a bridle for a donkey, and a rod for fools. 4. Do not answer a fool according to his foolishness, so you do not become like him; 5. yet answer a fool according to his foolishness, so he will not be wise in his own eyes. 6. One who entrusts a message to a fool cuts off his own feet and brings trouble on himself. 7. Unevenly do the legs rise in a lame man – and a proverb in the mouth of fools. 8. Like one who sets a precious stone in a sling, so is he who gives honor to a fool. 9. What a thorny thorn in the hand of a drunkard is, such is a proverb in the mouth of fools. 10. Great is he who makes all things at will: he rewards a fool and he rewards every passer-by. 11. As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness. 12. Have you seen a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. The unnaturalness of snow in summer and rain at harvest (in Palestine) is taken (v. 1) as an image of the impropriety and, as it were, unnaturalness of honor and glory for a fool. Then are presented figuratively – the impotence of an oath or curse uttered by a fool (v. 2), as well as the necessity of physical intervention for his correction (v. 3). In vv. 4–5, the rabbis saw a direct contradiction, but this contradiction is only apparent: in v. 4, one moment of the manifestation of foolishness is meant, when any admonitions and rebukes are useless for a fool (v. 4b), – in v. 5, he is commanded to expose foolishness so as to prevent the fool’s exaltation through imagined wisdom; in one case, the worthlessness of the fool is self-evident; in the other, it requires special exposure. Further, foolishness is illuminated from the perspective of complete lack of skill and incapacity of the fool for any useful work (vv. 6–9), – of undeserved fortune (v. 10), of persisting in his unreason (v. 11), and again – of self-exaltation and self-confidence (v. 12). The expression of v. 11 is cited in 2 Pet 2:22.

Proverbs 26:13. The lazy man says: “There is a lion on the road! A lion on the streets!” 14. A door turns on its hinges, and a lazy man on his bed. 15. The lazy man dips his hand in a dish, and it is hard for him to bring it to his mouth. 16. In his own eyes a lazy man is wiser than seven men who answer thoughtfully. In the depiction here of laziness, the features previously expressed by the Wise One are repeated word for word; see v. 13 and Prov 22:13; v. 15 and Prov 19:24.

Proverbs 26:17. He who seizes a dog by the ears, passing by and meddling in another’s quarrel. 18. Like one pretending to be mad who throws fire, arrows, and death, 19. so is a man who deceives his friend and then says: “I was only joking.” In v. 18, the thought of the extreme harm of untimely jesting and amusement is expressed figuratively through comparison.

Proverbs 26:20. Without fuel, fire goes out; and without a gossip, quarrel dies down. 21. Charcoal is for burning coals and wood for fire, and a quarrelsome man is for kindling strife. 22. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels, and they enter the innermost parts of the belly. 23. What a clay vessel covered with cheap silver is, such are fervent lips and an evil heart. 24. An enemy dissembles with his lips, but in his heart he harbors treachery. 25. If he speaks with a gentle voice, do not believe him, for seven abominations are in his heart. 26. If hatred is concealed, it will be revealed in the assembly. 27. He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone uphill will have it roll back on him. 28. A lying tongue hates those it wounds, and a flattering mouth brings about ruin. In figurative and direct speech (vv. 20–21), the harm of quarrels and discord is expressed. Vv. 24–25 – a warning against the danger of hypocrisy; in v. 26 – a motive for restraint from malice and hatred: the inevitability of revealing hidden hatred. V. 26 provides a summary of the preceding admonitions.