Proverbs 26:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.

NIV: Sending a message by the hands of a fool is like cutting off one's feet or drinking poison.

NASB: One who sends a message by the hand of a fool Chops off his own feet and drinks violence.

CSB: The one who sends a message by a fool's hand cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.

NLT: Trusting a fool to convey a message is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison!

KJV: He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage.

NKJV: He who sends a message by the hand of a fool Cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.

In Bible times messages were not delivered by email, text, or telephone. Designated people—messengers—were employed to deliver communications from senders to the recipients. However, not all assigned messengers were equally reliable. A person lacking common sense or morals (Proverbs 1:7) might be distracted, forget an important detail, deliberately change the message, or fail to find the recipient. Sending a message through a fool is as pointless as trying to walk after severing one's feet.

The metaphor of "drinking" is used in Scripture to imply something taken deeply, or in a strong manner. Trusting a fool with some important task is like calling violence down on oneself. It's no accident that God's requirements for teachers and messengers of the gospel include faithfulness (1 Corinthians 4:2). The message is important, and it cannot be dependent on unreliable, foolish people (Proverbs 3:33–35).

Proverbs 26:1–12 is mostly a series of blunt, negative remarks about a "fool;" the word appears in all but one verse. In the book of Proverbs, a "fool" is one who rejects godly wisdom (Proverbs 1:7). The segment also includes a famous pair of statements which seem contradictory. Since verses 4 and 5 are written side-by-side, the implication is that there are times where one approach or the other is best. Generally, those who ignore God's truth (Proverbs 8:34–36) are dangerous and unreliable.

This chapter includes three main sections. The first repeatedly refers to a "fool," meaning someone lacking godly wisdom (Proverbs 1:7). The second warns against being lazy. The third condemns careless conflict, lying, and warns about those who disguise their hate with words. Several statements in this passage repeat or echo others made in the book of Proverbs.

Chapter 25 introduced another section of Solomon's proverbs (Proverbs 25:1). These were collected by later scribes; the list runs through the end of chapter 29. This chapter covers topics such as foolishness, laziness, and conflict. This echoes principles given in other proverbs.

Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom” is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.

Accessed 5/4/2024 4:10:35 AM