Proverbs 26:4
Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
JPS TaNaKH 1917
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 the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the back of fools.
5Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.
Cross References
Judges 12:1And the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and passed to Zaphon; and they said unto Jephthah: 'Wherefore didst thou pass over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thy house upon thee with fire.'
1 Kings 12:14and spoke to them after the counsel of the young men, saying: 'My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.'
2 Kings 14:8Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying: 'Come, let us look one another in the face.'
Proverbs 26:5Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.
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 →