Mishle 26:6

6 He that sendeth a message by the yad of a kesil (fool) cutteth off the raglayim, and drinketh chamas.

Mishle 26:6 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 26:6

He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool
Who knows not how to deliver it in a proper manner, and is incapable of taking the answer, and reporting it as he should; or unfaithful in it, and brings a bad or false report, as the spies did upon the good land; cutteth off the feet;
he may as well cut off his feet before he sends him, or send a man without feet, as such an one; for prudence, diligence, and faithfulness in doing a message, and bringing back the answer, are as necessary to a messenger as his feet are; [and] drinketh damage;
to himself; his message not being rightly performed, and business not done well; which is a loss to the sender, as well as to his credit and reputation with the person to whom he sends him; he hereby concluding that he must be a man of no great judgment and sense to send such a fool on his errand. Such are the unskilful ambassadors of princes; and such are unfaithful ministers, the messengers of the churches; see ( Proverbs 10:26 ) . The words in the original are three sentences, without a copulative, and stand in this order, "[he] that cutteth off feet; [he] that drinketh damage; [he] that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool"; that is, they are alike.

Mishle 26:6 In-Context

4 Answer not a kesil (fool) according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

5 Answer a kesil (fool) according to his folly, lest he be chacham in his own eyes.

6 He that sendeth a message by the yad of a kesil (fool) cutteth off the raglayim, and drinketh chamas.

7 The legs of the pisei’ach (lame man) hang limp; so is a mashal in the peh (mouth) of kesilim.

8 As he that bindeth an even (stone) in a sling, so is he that giveth kavod to a kesil (fool).