NOTES for Pro 26:1-28

Today’s chapter tells us about foolishness, laziness, and malice. It might seem strange, if not cruel, to reproach a person for not being intelligent. But foolishness is not contrasted here with intelligence. The opposite of foolishness is wisdom, a gift that can be cultivated within oneself and obtained from God through prayer. The fool here is the one who does not learn from their mistakes. By this criterion, practically everyone can understand how and where their own foolishness is manifested.

The instructions Solomon gives us often express in a few words what we struggle for years to understand. To do harm and then try to turn everything into a joke: how often have we felt bewildered and hurt when others treated us this way? Or have suddenly tried to act in the same way ourselves, covering up thoughtless, malicious, and hurtful words spoken about someone. And how often have we found no way out of such a situation. One need only agree that it was merely a joke, and then the relationship with the person will not be ruined. But malice, lies, and slander cannot be eradicated in this way. They can be abolished only by truth.