Proverbs 26:10

10 An employer who hires any fool that comes along is only hurting everybody concerned.

Proverbs 26:10 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 26:10

The great [God], that formed all [things]
That made the heavens, earth, and sea, and all that are in them; who is great in the perfections of his nature, and in the works of his hands, and greatly to be praised; both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors;
according to their works; every transgression of the law receiving its just recompence of reward, whether a man transgresses it ignorantly or wilfully; as his transgressions are, whether through error or presumption, so shall his punishment be; though some understand this, as Kimchi, of the Lord's doing good in a providential way, to the wise and unwise, the righteous and the wicked: the words are by some rendered to another sense, "a great one grieveth all, and he hireth the fool, and he hireth the transgressors" ^F25; that is, a great man, a tyrannical prince, grieves all his good subjects; or, as Hottinger ^F26, from the use of the word in the Arabic tongue, changes all things, inverts their order, or administers all at his will, that is, wrongly; when he hires fools and wicked men to do those bad things for him which others would not, to the great detriment of the commonwealth; and rewards them for it, putting them into posts of honour and trust, to the great grief and trouble of all his best subjects.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 So Mercerus, Piscator.
F26 Smegm. Oriental. l. 1. c. 2. p. 171.

Proverbs 26:10 In-Context

8 Praising someone who is stupid makes as much sense as tying a stone in a sling.

9 A fool quoting a wise saying reminds you of a drunk trying to pick a thorn out of his hand.

10 An employer who hires any fool that comes along is only hurting everybody concerned.

11 A fool doing some stupid thing a second time is like a dog going back to its vomit.

12 The most stupid fool is better off than those who think they are wise when they are not.

Footnotes

• [a] [Verse 10 in Hebrew is unclear.]