Scripture Reference: – Proverbs 26:4,5
“Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou become like unto him...
Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he become wise in his own conceit.”
This was one of a large group of Proverbs I was required to memorize when I first entered the ministry in 1972. I always knew that the these verses seemed to be contradictory, and it wasn’t until a number of years later that I investigated more carefully these two verses.
"Brother Gregg, would you please explain Proverbs 26:4, 5. Don't these two verses contradict each other?" This question comes from a fairly new believer at Indiana State Prison. This is a good question, and at first look, these two verses seem to tell us to take one course of action, and in the next verse to do just the opposite.
Stephen isn’t the only prisoner that has questioned what Solomon was trying to convey. This passage of Scripture has indeed puzzled many people. I have a tremendous number of inmates all across the country that are with me in my daily reading of Psalms and Proverbs. Several have asked me about the apparent contradiction between the two verses that are our subject today.
Proverbs 26:4 reads: “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him.” Verse 5 adds: “Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.” The bottom line is that a man full of wisdom and understanding will clearly recognize that in most cases, it’s best to leave a fool to his own folly, rather than engaging in an argument that goes nowhere.
The prudent man knows that there are times when we need to set someone straight – what Solomon calls being “wise in their own conceit”. I will elaborate more on this in a moment.
When trying to understand these two verses, we need to realize that the Bible does not contradict itself. God’s entire Word is truth, as Christ said in John 17:17: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” This is a strong statement of Jesus’ confidence in the truth of the entirety of Scripture.
Christ also said in John 10:35: “the Scripture cannot be broken…” There are no contradictions in God’s Word – no passage of Scripture “breaks” or contradicts another passage. Jesus’ response made the truth of His argument rest on the absolute trustworthiness of all Scripture.
Rather than being contradictory, the two statements in Proverbs 26:4, 5, complement each other. The last part of each statement shows the sets of circumstances or scenarios under which each of the two statements is to be applied.
In every case, before deciding whether or not to answer, we need to consider the questioner’s motives – where the questioner is coming from – the content of his question, and his attitude!
Proverbs 26:4 tells us not to answer a fool according to his folly, lest we be like him. In this situation, the fool is not there seeking to learn anything. He is just argumentative, wanting to quarrel and debate. To answer the fool’s specific allegation or even accusation would end up in a meaningless discussion. In such a case, both parties would end up being foolish or behaving foolishly.
Luke 20:1-8 gives us one example. When Christ was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the Pharisees confronted Christ and asked Him: “Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?” (compare verse 2). Christ understood the wrong motives and intentions of the Pharisees. He did not answer their question.
Rather, He asked them a question that He knew was impossible for them to answer without condemning themselves (compare verses 3 and 4). As Christ expected, the Pharisees refused to answer the question. As a consequence, Christ stated that He would not answer their question either, and the discussion ended (compare verses 7 and 8).
On the other hand, Proverbs 26:5 tells us that there are selective times when we ARE to answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.
This approach is well illustrated by Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, in his second letter to the Corinthian Church. Certain men at Corinth falsely pretended to be apostles of Christ. In order to protect the Church and not to give the impression of approving their claim through silence, Paul had to speak up. Therefore, Paul said in 2 Corinthians 11:23: “Are they ministers of Christ?" I speak as a fool–I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.” Paul answered these false apostles’ claims, by showing, in a “foolish way,” who was really an apostle of Jesus Christ, so that they would not appear wise to themselves and to others in the Church, thereby causing great damage.
Another example can be found in Job 2:9,10: “Then [Job’s] wife said to him, ‘Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!’ But he said to her, ‘You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” In this case the expressed folly is answered with reproof, as well as with a brief statement of the true facts and circumstances, exposing it in the manner deserved.
In conclusion, the two passages in Proverbs 26:4,5 do NOT contradict each other, but taken together, they explain different methods of handling the questions and statements of foolish people. In verse 4, we are told not to answer a fool, “…Lest you also be like him.”
We are admonished to avoid a pointless argument, wasting fruitless time and energy on foolishness, and to avoid responding approvingly by like folly. However, in verse 5, we are told to answer a fool, “… Lest he be wise in his own eyes.”
There is a time when we cannot give tacit approval by silence. There is a selective time to stand up, and not close our eyes to damage. We need godly wisdom to know just when and how to apply these principles, and this wisdom comes from God. James 1:5 tells us: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
Proverbs has more to say about fools than any other book in the Bible. Solomon didn’t want his son to end up being another of the many foolish people, and so he admonished him to be wary of the foolish man. We can learn a lot from fools. They despise wisdom (Proverbs 1:7, 22, 10:21, 23:9); they are right in their own eyes (Proverbs 12:15); they are deceitful (Proverbs 14:8) and scornful (Proverbs 10:23, 14:9).
The wise are also given instruction on how to deal with fools in Proverbs. Instructing a fool is pointless because his speech is full of foolishness (Proverbs 15:2, 14) and he does not want wisdom and understanding (Proverbs 18:2).
Solomon tells his son, as does Christian to the people of “Vanity Fair” in Pilgrim’s Progress, that he is to spend his money on buying the truth, wisdom, instruction and understanding. Just the opposite of What the foolish men invest in.
The futility of trying to impart wisdom to a fool is the basis of Proverbs 26:4-5, which tell us how to answer a fool. These seemingly contradictory verses are actually a common form of parallelism found in the Old Testament, where one idea builds upon another. (Hebrew parallelism is a literary structure (very common in Proverbs) in which the writer balances a series of words so that patterns of deliberate contrast or intentional repetition appear.)
Verse 4 warns against arguing with a fool on his own terms, lest we stoop to his level and become as foolish as he is. Because he despises wisdom and correction, the fool will not listen to wise reason and will try to draw us into his type of argument, whether it is by using deceit, scoffing at our wisdom, or becoming angry and abusive. If we allow him to draw us into this type of discourse, we are answering him “according to his folly” in the sense of becoming like him.
On the other hand, in verse 5, the phrase “according to his folly” tells us that there are times when a fool has to be addressed so that his foolishness will not go unchallenged.
In this (verse 5) sense, answering him according to his folly means to expose the foolishness of his words, rebuking him on the basis of his folly so he will see the idiocy of his words and reasoning. Our “answer” in this case is to be one of reproof, showing him the truth so he might see the foolishness of his words in the light of reason.
Even though he will most likely despise and reject the wisdom offered to him, we are to make the attempt, both for the sake of the truth which is always to be declared, and for the sake of those listening, that they may see the difference between wisdom and folly and be instructed.
Here is where we need to use wisdom and discretion. Whether we use the principle of verse 4 and deal with a fool by ignoring him, or obey verse 5 and reprove a fool depends on the situation. In matters of insignificance, it’s probably better to disregard him. In more important areas, such as when a fool denies the existence of God (Psalm 14:1), verse 5 tells us to respond to his foolishness with words of rebuke and instruction.
To let a fool speak his nonsense without reproof encourages him to remain wise in his own eyes and possibly gives credibility to his folly in the eyes of others.
In short, in negligible issues we should just ignore fools, but in issues that matter, they must be dealt with so we don’t give credibility to what they say.
Thank you Lord for yet another few Proverbs that can help us in our day to day dealings and conversations with others. Give us the wisdom to know when it’s best to ignore the fool who is simply blabbering, trying to only engage in another foolish argument. May we know when it’s time to stand up to that person who has become wise in his own conceit.
Give us the right words to say, in due season, to the person who needs to hear the truth, in response to their foolishness. Keep us immersed in your word daily that we may continue to gain wisdom. Amen
From: Fight the Good Fight of Faith & Life Journal: By Gregg Harris
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