Proverbs 26:5
עֲנֵה כְסִיל כְּאִוַּלְתּוֹ פֶּן ־ יִהְיֶה חָכָם בְּעֵינָֽיו ׃
Hebrew Tanakh (Original)
In The King James Version
Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.
In Context
4אַל ־ תַּעַן כְּסִיל כְּאִוַּלְתּוֹ פֶּֽן ־ תִּשְׁוֶה ־ לּוֹ גַם ־ אָֽתָּה ׃
6מְקַצֶּה רַגְלַיִם חָמָס שֹׁתֶה שֹׁלֵחַ דְּבָרִים בְּיַד ־ כְּסִֽיל ׃
Cross References
Proverbs 3:7אַל ־ תְּהִי חָכָם בְּעֵינֶיךָ יְרָא אֶת ־ יְהוָה וְסוּר מֵרָֽע ׃
Proverbs 26:12רָאִיתָ אִישׁ חָכָם בְּעֵינָיו תִּקְוָה לִכְסִיל מִמֶּֽנּוּ ׃
Isaiah 5:21הוֹי חֲכָמִים בְּעֵֽינֵיהֶם וְנֶגֶד פְּנֵיהֶם נְבֹנִֽים ׃
Matthew Henry on Proverbs 26:5-6
4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit. See here the noble security of the scripture-style, which seems to contradict itself, but really does not. Wise men have need to be directed how to deal with fools; and they have never more need of wisdom than in dealing with such, to know when to keep silence and when to speak, for there may be a time for both. 1. In some cases a wise man will not set his wit to… Read the whole commentary →