A Rod For a Fool’s Back

Proverbs 26:3-5 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back. Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

These verses have a lot of wisdom in them that one could apply in our culture and political climate. But it takes some work to understand what God is saying here and to learn how to apply it.

There are other verses where God instructs us how to deal with questions or statements that are unlearned or ignorant. For instance:

1Timothy 4:7 But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

1Timothy 1:4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

2Timothy 2:23-26  But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; (strive here can mean to argue to win superiority over another) but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

There are many similar verses and examples in the Bible that teach about how to stay out of trouble with the mouth. So, it might be wise in our walks with God to learn how to deal with fools. In this short study, we are going to basically stay with the verses in Proverbs 26. But first let’s go to the book of James.

Learning how to conduct yourself around others, believers or not, is a worthwhile adventure.

James 3:1-8  My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

The only thing that can tame the tongue is the Word of God. As the Word of God settles in your heart, it will help to control your mouth. So, to study the words “mouth” and “tongue” and other related words might help in your understanding of how to deal with the questions or situations that you find yourself in.

Now for Proverbs. I found that reading these verses from several translations to be helpful. Here are a few.

NASB: Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him. Answer a fool as his folly deserves lest he be wise in his own eyes

Anchor:Do not answer a fool in his own foolish terms, lest you put yourself on his level. Answer a fool in his own foolish terms so he will not think himself wise.

The Amplified inserts the word “self-confident” in brackets before the word “fool.”

Lamsa: Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be also like him. But answer a fool according to your wisdom, lest he think in himself that he is wise.

Moffatt’s: Never answer a fool according to his folly, lest you become like him: Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he imagines he is wise.

 Knox’s: Leave the fool’s challenge unanswered, and prove thyself wise; or answer it, if thou wilt and prove him fool.

An example along the same line of thinking:

Proverbs 23:9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

If they are not asking you for help, stop trying to convince people of your viewpoint or trying to impart your wisdom to them. They probably do not want any help. By doing so, you are trying to force a person to drink that is not thirsty.

Isaiah 36:21 But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

I have found that if you only give a small taste of what you have and then be silent for a time, you may see if they really want to know or if they are only trying to entice you into spilling your guts and having more ammunition with which to attack and accuse you.

EW Bullinger’s notes from the Companion Bible: The point of Vs 3 (Proverbs 26:3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back. (KJV) is that you cannot reason with a fool. Vs 4 gives the reason. If you answer not according to his folly, he will think he is wise like yourself. If you do answer him according to his folly, he will think you are a fool like he is: i.e., according to Vs 3 you cannot reason with him. These are finely stated facts, not commands.

Dake’s notes: Answer a fool wisely to confute his folly and expose his senselessness lest he be wise in his own eyes

The point in Vs 4-5 is that you cannot reason with a fool, because you would have to reason with him on his own level and this would make it manifest that you are a fool yourself. If you answer not according to his folly, he thinks he is as wise as you are. If you do answer according to his own folly, he thinks you are a fool as he is, so your reasoning is defeated. The only hope in such a case is the rod of Vs 3.

Here in Matthew, Jesus, never at a loss for words from his Father, deals with fools.

Matthew 16:1-4 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

Sometimes the questions people bring up or the statements they make, I just do not know what to say. Sometimes they throw out words to entice you into an argument. Innocently, of course. It is best then to say nothing. You could just shake your head and walk away or just turn your attention to a different person in the room. This is an example of properly answering a fool according to his folly. (Answering without words is an answer). This method shows both the fool and the people listening that you will not stoop to argue or respond on the level of the fool. This action shows that their question or statement is so foolish it is not worthy of a response.

Matthew 21:23-27 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

Here when they asked Jesus a question to trap him and to set him up, he simply asked them a question back. This technique of answering a question with a question can get you out of a lot of sticky situations. Just don’t do that to me!

Note from NIV Bible: Verses 4-5 illustrate Ecclesiastes 3:7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; The apparent contradiction between these verses is best resolved by remembering two things: 1. There is nothing to be gained in answering a fool in his own manner. 2. There may be occasions when to permit a fool to go unrefuted would confirm him in his conceit.

The problem in answering a fool is that by answering, it gives the impression to the fool and to those listening that his question or statement was valid. You validate that what he said is worth a response. By not answering, you are in effect saying that what they said is so foolish it is not worthy of a response.

But if you are going to respond, you need to do so in such a way that it shows to the fool and those listening that the person was a fool.

Mark Twain said that if you answer a fool when you should remain silent, you are now arguing on the fool’s level and those listening may not be able to tell which of you is the fool!

Lamsa had some enlightening notes on these verses too: Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be also like him. But answer a fool according to your wisdom, lest he think in himself that he is wise. At the first, you can show the foolishness of the question by not giving it the dignity of a response. Not even worth answering. But it may require an answer if the one asking begins to become conceited because he thinks he has asked such a good question. If that is the case, give an answer that shows what a foolish question it was in the first place, by that it becomes evident that the questioner is a fool.

Hopefully, looking at these translations and notes has been helpful for you. It may take time for these truths to settle down in your heart and to learn to live this way, but it will keep you out of much trouble.

Here is a more modern quote that is similar.

Thomas Paine: To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.

Apparently from God’s perspective, even wise people need some instruction on how to deal with fools. We as God’s wise children need to know and be aware of when to be silent and then when to answer in such a way as to refute those that hash the Word to pieces and  answer in such a way to show that they are ignorant. This type of learning can then be applied to discussions of gender, politics, and vaccinations, etc.

God does not want us to be dragged down to their level but to rise above the crowd of foolish and unlearned questioners . God wants us to give our wisdom to those who want to know. This is part of learning how to walk with God. It is part of taming the tongue and learning to listen to His still small voice. You are never alone. God is always at work within you.