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Proverbs 26:1-28 · More Proverbs of Solomon

1 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool.

2 Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.

3 A whip for the horse, a halter for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools!

4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself.

5 Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.

6 Like cutting off one's feet or drinking violence is the sending of a message by the hand of a fool.

7 Like a lame man's legs that hang limp is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

8 Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.

9 Like a thornbush in a drunkard's hand is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

10 Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or any passer-by.

11 As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

13 The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!"

14 As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.

15 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.

16 The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly.

17 Like one who seizes a dog by the ears is a passer-by who meddles in a quarrel not his own.

18 Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows

19 is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, "I was only joking!"

20 Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.

21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts.

23 Like a coating of glaze over earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart.

24 A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but in his heart he harbors deceit.

25 Though his speech is charming, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart.

26 His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

27 If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it; if a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him.

28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.

More Proverbs of Solomon

Proverbs 26:1-28

Understanding Series
by Roland E. Murphy

These chapters are introduced by a superscription indicating that they are from Solomon by way of the “men of Hezekiah.” The sayings break from the admonitory style of 22:17–24:34 and resemble those of chapters 10–22:16. However, these sayings are much more vivid, and in chapters 25–27 they form larger units (“proverb poems,” as they have been called). Explicit comparisons are frequent. We are unable to say much about the general setting of the collection, but the ambience of the court predominates in chapters 25–27. The characteristic sound patterns (assonance, alliteration, catchwords, etc.) mark this collection just as they did the previous chapters. For the sake of brevity these patterns will not be emphasized here, but the reader is referred to the studies of McCreesh, Sound (index), …

Baker Publishing Group, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series, by Roland E. Murphy

Overview and Insights · The Proverbs of Solomon Collected by Hezekiah’s Scribes (25:1–29:27)

This section is similar to Proverbs 10–22, and contains many of the same themes: the wise man and wisdom versus the fool and folly; righteousnes…

The Baker Bible Handbook by , Baker Publishing Group, 2016