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Interpreting Proverbs


bcbsr

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INTERPRETING PROVERBS

Pr 26:4   Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself.
Pr 26:5  Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.

Here are a pair of verses, one following the other, of which the foolish would claim contradict one another, as if the author in writing verse 5 forgot what he wrote in verse 4! In fact what they do is help us to understand how proverbs is to be read.

On the surface, taken literally, these appear as contradictory commands. But what we must understand is that for many proverbs there are two principles which describe the sense in which they are written which resolves such paradoxes.

Principle #1: Many of the apparent commands are to be taken not as explicit commands but rather as principles - IF A THEN B.

Principle #2: Most of the proverbs are GENERAL principles as opposed to things which are true in every particular case. Thus most should be understood to be preceeded with the expression "Generally speaking".

So for example in the cases above we would say

"Generally speaking if you answer a fool according to his folly then you will be like him, but on the other hand you will prevent him from being wise in his own eyes."

Thus you are presented with a choice in answering a fool. Proverbs considers the pros and cons but leaves it up to you to decide which is best for your particular circumstances. Thus proverbs is less a set of rules and regulations and more a set of observations from which the wise in spirit can derive applications.

An application of Principle #2 is to beware of applying labels universally. For example proverbs speaks much of "fools" as if there are a distinct group of people in the world who are fools and everyone else is not a fool. But in fact all of us are fools to different degrees. And so also is in the case with other such labels as the sluggard, the stingy, the scoffer, the righteous, the wise, the faithful. But this is not to say that it is inappropriate to label individuals. For such is done both in society and throughout the Bible. However such labels, if they refer to a person's behavior, are not to be taken in an absolute sense but rather to be understood as a description of the person's overall lifestyle or character.


The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources
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1 hour ago, bcbsr said:

 

INTERPRETING PROVERBS

Pr 26:4   Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself.
Pr 26:5  Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.

Here are a pair of verses, one following the other, of which the foolish would claim contradict one another, as if the author in writing verse 5 forgot what he wrote in verse 4! In fact what they do is help us to understand how proverbs is to be read.

On the surface, taken literally, these appear as contradictory commands. But what we must understand is that for many proverbs there are two principles which describe the sense in which they are written which resolves such paradoxes.

Principle #1: Many of the apparent commands are to be taken not as explicit commands but rather as principles - IF A THEN B.

Principle #2: Most of the proverbs are GENERAL principles as opposed to things which are true in every particular case. Thus most should be understood to be preceeded with the expression "Generally speaking".

So for example in the cases above we would say

"Generally speaking if you answer a fool according to his folly then you will be like him, but on the other hand you will prevent him from being wise in his own eyes."

Thus you are presented with a choice in answering a fool. Proverbs considers the pros and cons but leaves it up to you to decide which is best for your particular circumstances. Thus proverbs is less a set of rules and regulations and more a set of observations from which the wise in spirit can derive applications.

An application of Principle #2 is to beware of applying labels universally. For example proverbs speaks much of "fools" as if there are a distinct group of people in the world who are fools and everyone else is not a fool. But in fact all of us are fools to different degrees. And so also is in the case with other such labels as the sluggard, the stingy, the scoffer, the righteous, the wise, the faithful. But this is not to say that it is inappropriate to label individuals. For such is done both in society and throughout the Bible. However such labels, if they refer to a person's behavior, are not to be taken in an absolute sense but rather to be understood as a description of the person's overall lifestyle or character.


The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources

I don't think you have to be foolish to think those two verses contradict each other. Still, one has to believe they don't. Perhaps the key is in the phrase "according to his folly." In the first instance "according to his folly" might imply you agree with the fool, and by answering him according to his folly, you become equally foolish. In the second instance, "according to his folly" might just mean that the fool believes this and now it is your responsibility to set him straight.

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3 hours ago, bcbsr said:

INTERPRETING PROVERBS

Pr 26:4   Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself.
Pr 26:5  Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.

26,4  Don't be caught up (thinking) in his foolishness, lest you think similarly (untruth).



26,5  If you answer his foolishness without replying truth, he continues to believe himself (as wise)

Like on this forum, foolishness vs truth is/should always decided with good scripture interpretations.

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."

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9 hours ago, bcbsr said:

 

INTERPRETING PROVERBS

Pr 26:4   Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself.
Pr 26:5  Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.

Here are a pair of verses, one following the other, of which the foolish would claim contradict one another, as if the author in writing verse 5 forgot what he wrote in verse 4! In fact what they do is help us to understand how proverbs is to be read.

On the surface, taken literally, these appear as contradictory commands. But what we must understand is that for many proverbs there are two principles which describe the sense in which they are written which resolves such paradoxes.

Principle #1: Many of the apparent commands are to be taken not as explicit commands but rather as principles - IF A THEN B.

Principle #2: Most of the proverbs are GENERAL principles as opposed to things which are true in every particular case. Thus most should be understood to be preceeded with the expression "Generally speaking".

So for example in the cases above we would say

"Generally speaking if you answer a fool according to his folly then you will be like him, but on the other hand you will prevent him from being wise in his own eyes."

Thus you are presented with a choice in answering a fool. Proverbs considers the pros and cons but leaves it up to you to decide which is best for your particular circumstances. Thus proverbs is less a set of rules and regulations and more a set of observations from which the wise in spirit can derive applications.

An application of Principle #2 is to beware of applying labels universally. For example proverbs speaks much of "fools" as if there are a distinct group of people in the world who are fools and everyone else is not a fool. But in fact all of us are fools to different degrees. And so also is in the case with other such labels as the sluggard, the stingy, the scoffer, the righteous, the wise, the faithful. But this is not to say that it is inappropriate to label individuals. For such is done both in society and throughout the Bible. However such labels, if they refer to a person's behavior, are not to be taken in an absolute sense but rather to be understood as a description of the person's overall lifestyle or character.


The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources

The other answer are good.

https://www.gotquestions.org/Proverbs-26-4-5.html

This website was helpful for me.

The basic concept as best I understand it.... is don't argue to try and fix the fool... instead argue to expose the truth.

The difference is, when you realize the other person has no interest in the truth, you simply say the truth and move on.

You'll see this with people like Ravi Zacharias, where when asked a hostile question, he'll answer it with truth, but when the other person starts in on arguing constantly, he just says this is my answer.  And moves on to the next question.

Do not correct someone with the expectation that they are going to have say "Ah ha! I was a fool!  I am not enlightened!".  Because a fool likely will never have that moment.

Instead you answer the false claims, so that other people can see the truth, and then move on.  

So when people say "Jesus never existed!" you can't just ignore that.  You say sure he did, and there is evidence, and even pagans know that historically Jesus existed.  But then the fool will continue "Well what about this! and what about that! and this guys opinion is this!"... then you don't let him drag you down to his level.  You move on.

Expose the truth and move on.

That's how I have always read this sections of Proverbs.

 

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