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S. Michael Houdmann
Supporter
Proverbs has much to say about fools. They despise wisdom (Proverbs 1:7, 22, 10:21, 23:9); they are right in their own eyes (Proverbs 12:15); they are deceitful (Proverbs 14:8) and scornful (Prover...
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Frederick Thomas
Supporter
Pro 26:4 “answer not a fool according to his folly”, lest thou also be like unto him. Pro 26:5 “answer a fool according to his folly”, lest he be wise in his own conceit. Do you answer a fool or don’t you? Yes and No Why? The one fool is a deliberate fool, if you try to answer him you going to become like him. The second one is a sincere fool. He really think what he believes is true. Him you must help. If you don’t answer him, he will think he is correct in his understanding. Someone told me some time ago “don’t argue with a deliberate fool because he will pull you down to his level and beat you with experience” Shalom
Terry Gillard
Supporter
In Britain we have proverbs: We will say "many hands make light work" and in another context "too many cooks spoil the broth". Neither statement has anything to do with their subject matter. Solomon collected these many proverbs, and they are relevant as they are applied to any given situation. Prov 26:4 - is in reference to trying to answer a fool seriously - as if his foolishness has value. Prov 26:5 is in reference to (if you like) answering a fools question in a foolish way! Then you highlight the folly of the situation.
Grant Abbott
Supporter
These verses do not contradict each other, they tell the same story from 2 different vantage points, like 2 sides of a coin. The issue raised by this proverb is this: What happens when we answer a fool according to his folly? What happens to us who are giving the answer? We become like the fool! What happens to the fool who hears our answer? He becomes wise in his own eyes.
Jack Gutknecht
Supporter
This would be opposing in the event that it were not qualified by the coinciding phrases. We should answer a blockhead as per his imprudence if not doing so will leave him "insightful in his own eyes" (Proverbs 26:5). Yet, we ought not answer him as indicated by his imprudence if in this manner we will "likewise resemble him." as such, it relies upon the conditions. At times we ought to and in some cases we ought not answer a bonehead. The insightful man will know the distinction. What's more, on the off chance that one needs astuteness, let him ask of God (James 1:5).
Billy P Eldred
Supporter
The other answers her make sense and offer good advice. I will give an opinion about "Do these two verses contradict each other?". To answer that we need to go back to Proverbs 25:1 which starts these lines of wisdom. Proverbs 25:1 NIV [1] These are more proverbs of Solomon, compiled by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah: We don't know when Solomon wrote these verses or if he wrote them at the same time. We just know that he wrote them or said them and they were later compiled by Hezekiah's men. We also know that context is everything. Solomon may have used these statements to conclude a discourse which would have given context that would make the conclusion clear as to what he was teaching and there would be know question that they did not contradict each other. The other possibility is that Solomon wrote or said these in the exact order they are presented. If so, it was probably meant to purposely create the question asked her. If that was the case, then we need to look forward to an explanation. I find one in Proverbs 27: 11. Proverbs 27:11 NIV [11] Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart; then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt. If Solomon was teaching these things to his son or any young man, I can see him doing a gesture like this one or this one, which is it? Then concluding with 27:11. Either way, as others have said, they both can be correct depending on the situation.
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