Proverbs 26:5
Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.
Young's Literal Translation
In The King James Version
Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.
In Context
4Answer not a fool according to his folly, Lest thou be like to him — even thou.
6He is cutting off feet, he is drinking injury, Who is sending things by the hand of a fool.
Cross References
Proverbs 3:7Be not wise in thine own eyes, Fear Jehovah, and turn aside from evil.
Proverbs 26:12Thou hast seen a man wise in his own eyes, More hope of a fool than of him!
Isaiah 5:21Woe [to] the wise in their own eyes, And — before their own faces — intelligent!
Matthew 15:1Then come unto Jesus do they from Jerusalem — scribes and Pharisees — saying,
Matthew 21:23And he having come to the temple, there came to him when teaching the chief priests and the elders of the people, saying, 'By what authority dost thou do these things? and who gave thee this authority?'
Luke 12:13And a certain one said to him, out of the multitude, 'Teacher, say to my brother to divide with me the inheritance.'
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 →