Proverbs 26:1-13

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

2 Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, an undeserved curse goes nowhere.

3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools.

4 Do not answer fools according to their folly, or you will be a fool yourself.

5 Answer fools according to their folly, or they will be wise in their own eyes.

6 It is like cutting off one's foot and drinking down violence, to send a message by a fool.

7 The legs of a disabled person hang limp; so does a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

8 It is like binding a stone in a sling to give honor to a fool.

9 Like a thornbush brandished by the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

10 Like an archer who wounds everybody is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.

11 Like a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool who reverts to his folly.

12 Do you see persons wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for fools than for them.

13 The lazy person says, "There is a lion in the road! There is a lion in the streets!"

Proverbs 26:1-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 13

In this chapter is an account of a man of God being sent to exclaim against Jeroboam's altar, and threaten its destruction, of which he gave a sign, which was accomplished, and with it the withering of the king's hand, which was healed upon the prophet's prayer for him, 1Ki 13:1-7, who would have entertained him at his house, but he refused the offer, and departed, 1Ki 13:8-10, but an old prophet in Bethel hearing of him, rode after him, and fetched him back to eat bread with him, through a lie he told him, 1Ki 13:11-19 upon which the word came to the old prophet, threatening the man of God with death for disobeying his command, and which was accordingly executed by a lion that met him in the way, and slew him, 1Ki 13:20-24, of which the old prophet being informed, went and took up his carcass, and buried it in his own sepulchre, where he charged his sons to bury him also when dead, believing that all the man of God had said would be fulfilled, 1Ki 13:25-30 and the chapter is closed with observing the continuance of Jeroboam in his idolatry, 1Ki 13:33,34.

Footnotes

• [a]. Meaning of Heb uncertain