Proverbs 26:9

9 As if a thorn groweth in the hand of a drunken man; so is a parable in the mouth of fools. (Like a thorn that groweth in the hand of a drunk, is a parable in the mouth of a fool.)

Proverbs 26:9 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 26:9

[As] a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard
And he perceives it not; or being in his hand he makes an ill use of it, and hurts himself and others with it; so [is] a parable in the mouth of fools,
a proverbial sentence respecting religious matters; or a passage of holy Scripture which either he understands not, and has no spiritual perception of, any more than the drunkard has of the thorn in his hand; or which being used as a pun, or by way of jest, as it is the manner of some to pun upon or jest with the Scripture, hurts himself and others, wounds his own conscience, and ruins the souls of others; for it is dangerous meddling with edge tools, and hard to kick against the pricks; so to do is like a drunken man's handling thorns, which he does without judgment, and to his own prejudice and others. Gussetius ^F24 understands this of a fish hook coming up into the hand of a drunkard empty, without taking any thing by it, and so alike useless is what is said by a fool.

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 Ebr. Comment. p. 244.

Proverbs 26:9 In-Context

7 As an halting man hath fair legs in vain; so a parable is unseemly in the mouth of fools.

8 As he that sendeth a stone into the broad place of the sling; so he that giveth honour to an unwise man. (Like he who sendeth a stone into the broad place of a sling, is he who giveth honour to an unwise person.)

9 As if a thorn groweth in the hand of a drunken man; so is a parable in the mouth of fools. (Like a thorn that groweth in the hand of a drunk, is a parable in the mouth of a fool.)

10 Doom determineth causes; and he that setteth silence to a fool, assuageth ires. (Judgement decideth a person's case; and he who telleth a fool to be silent, lesseneth anger.)

11 As a dog that turneth again to his spewing [As an hound that turneth again to his vomit]; so is an unprudent man, that rehearseth his folly. (Like a dog that returneth to his vomit, is an imprudent person, who repeateth his own foolishness.)