Proverbs 26:4
Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou be made like him. Answer not a fool, etc... Viz., so as to imitate him but only so as to reprove his folly.
Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner, 1752)
In The King James Version
Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
In Context
3A whip for a horse, and a snaffle for an ass, and a rod for the back of fools.
5Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he imagine himself to be wise.
Cross References
Judges 12:1But behold there arose a sedition in Ephraim. And passing towards the north, they said to Jephte: When thou wentest to fight against the children of Ammon, why wouldst thou not call us, that we might go with thee? Therefore we will burn thy house.
1 Kings 12:14And he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying: My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke: My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.
2 Kings 14:8Then Amasias sent messengers to Joas, son of Joachaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying: Come, let us see one another. Let us see one another... This was a challenge to fight.
Proverbs 26:5Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he imagine himself to be wise.
1 Peter 2:21For unto this are you called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example that you should follow his steps.
Jude 1:9When Michael the archangel, disputing with the devil, contended about the body of Moses, he durst not bring against him the judgment of railing speech, but said: The Lord command thee. Contended about the body, etc... This contention, which is no where else mentioned in holy writ, was originally known by revelation, and transmitted by tradition. It is thought the occasion of it was, that the devil would have had the body buried in such a place and manner, as to be worshipped by the Jews with divine honours. Command thee... or rebuke thee.
Matthew Henry on Proverbs 26:4
3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back. Here, 1. Wicked men are compared to the horse and the ass, so brutish are they, so unreasonable, so unruly, and not to be governed but by force or fear, so low has sin sunk men, so much below themselves. Man indeed is born like the wild ass's colt, but as some by the grace of God are changed, and become rational, so others by custom in sin are hardened, and become more and more sottish, as the horse and the mule, Ps. xxxii. 9 . 2.… Read the whole commentary →