PROV 26:4 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Don’t answer a fool with a foolish answer,
⇔ otherwise you’ll just end up like them.

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Μὴ ἀποκρίνου ἄφρονι πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνου ἀφροσύνην, ἵνα μὴ ὅμοιος γένῃ αὐτῷ.
(Maʸ apokrinou afroni pros taʸn ekeinou afrosunaʸn, hina maʸ homoios genaʸ autōi. )

ULT Do not answer a stupid one according to his folly,
⇔ lest you yourself also become like him.

UST Do not reply to foolish people according to their foolish way of thinking.
⇔ If you do, then you also will be foolish.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE Don’t answer a fool according to his folly,
⇔ lest you also be like him.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
⇔ lest you yourself also be like him.

LSV Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
Lest you are like to him—even you.

FBV Don't answer stupid people following their stupidity, or you'll become as bad as them.

T4T ⇔ If a foolish person asks a foolish question, do not answer him,
⇔ because if you answer his question, you are just as foolish as he is.

LEB • Do not answer a fool according to his folly lest you become like him—even you.

BBE Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.

Moff Never answer a fool according to his folly,
⇔ lest you become like him:

JPS Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

ASV Answer not a fool according to his folly,
⇔ Lest thou also be like unto him.

DRA Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou be made like him.

YLT Answer not a fool according to his folly, Lest thou be like to him — even thou.

Drby Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

RV Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
(Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou/you also be like unto him. )

SLT Thou shalt not answer the foolish according to his folly lest thou shalt be like to him.

Wbstr Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like him.

KJB-1769 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
(Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou/you also be like unto him. )

KJB-1611 Answere not a foole according to his folly, lest thou also be like vnto him.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps Geue not the foole an aunswere after his foolishnes, lest thou become like vnto him.
(Give not the fool an answer after his foolishnes, lest thou/you become like unto him.)

Gnva Answer not a foole according to his foolishnes, least thou also be like him.
(Answer not a fool according to his foolishnes, least thou/you also be like him. )

Cvdl Geue not the foole an answere after his foolishnesse, lest thou become like vnto him:
(Give not the fool an answer after his foolishness, lest thou/you become like unto him:)

Wycl Answere thou not to a fool bi his foli, lest thou be maad lijk hym.
(Answer thou/you not to a fool by his folly, lest thou/you be made like him.)

Luth Antworte dem Narren nicht mich seiner Narrheit, daß du ihm nicht auch gleich werdest.
(Answer(v) to_him fool(n) not me his folly, that you(sg) him not also even become.)

ClVg Ne respondeas stulto juxta stultitiam suam, ne efficiaris ei similis.[fn]
(Don't respondeas stupid next_to stupidity his_own, not I_will_becomeis to_him similar. )

26.4 Non respondeas... Responde stulto juxta stultitiam. Non sunt contraria; utrumque enim pro tempore et personarum diversitate concordat; dum et stultus contemnit, quia non recipit sapientiam: et stulta superbia a sua dejicitur stultitia, unde: Factus sum insipiens, vos me cœgistis II Cor. 12..

26.4 Not/No respondeas... Responde stupid next_to stupidity. Not/No are opposites; both because for at_the_time and of_persons diversity concordat; while and stupid/foolish despises, because not/no receives wisdom: and stupid pride from his_own deyicitur foolishness, from_where/who: Became I_am stupid, you(pl) me cœgistis II Cor. 12..

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 25:1–29:27: This is Hezekiah’s collection of Solomon’s proverbs

This section is the second collection of Solomon’s proverbs. These proverbs were organized and copied by men who served King Hezekiah. Most scholars divide this section into two groups. These groups differ in several ways.

The first group (chapters 25–27) has many more comparisons and admonitions. In Hebrew, most of these comparisons are metaphors in which one or more illustrations precede the topic. Some English versions change the order so that the topic precedes the illustration(s). You should follow the order that expresses the meaning naturally and effectively in your language.

In the first group, many proverbs are one verse long. As with the individual proverbs in the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs (Section 10:1–22:16), they are not related to the proverbs around them. Other proverbs in this group are two or more verses long. Still others are one-verse proverbs that are closely related in theme. Proverbs in all three categories will be marked as separate paragraphs.

The second group (chapters 28–29) has more contrastive proverbs. The proverbs in this group are each one verse long. They will not be marked as separate paragraphs.

Some other headings for this section are:

More Proverbs of Solomon (NIV)

Proverbs of Solomon Collected by Hezekiah (NET)

These are also wise things that Solomon said

Paragraph 26:4–5

These two proverbs are closely related. They assume a situation in which a fool has started to argue with someone or has said something in a foolish, angry, or insulting way.

The first lines advise the reader how to respond to the fool. The second lines give the undesirable result of not following the advice.

^4aDo not answer a fool according to his folly,

^4bor you yourself will be like him.

^5aAnswer a fool according to his folly,

^5blest he become wise in his own eyes.

In Hebrew and in many English versions, the first lines of each verse are identical except for the negative command “Do not” in 26:4a. They appear to give contradictory advice. Some ways to explain the apparent contradiction are:

Different situations may require a different response.
The meaning of the phrase “according to his folly” differs in 26:4a and 26:5a.
The results in the second lines differ from one another. Verse 26:4b describes the result on the reader. Verse 26:5b describes the result on the fool. These different results fit the different meanings of the first lines.

There are different ways to interpret the advice in each of the first lines. These will be discussed separately in the notes on 26:4a and 26:5a.

26:4a

Do not answer a fool according to his folly,

¶ Do not reply^(sing) with foolish words to what fools say.
¶ When you answer a fool, do not speak like a fool.

Do not answer a fool according to his folly: Two ways to interpret this advice are:

Do not answer a fool in a way that is similar to his foolishness. When a person answers a fool, he should not speak foolishly, angrily, or insultingly like a fool speaks. For example:
Do not answer a fool in the terms of his folly (NJB) (BSB, ESV, GW, NASB, NCV, NET, NIV, NJB, NJPS, NRSV)
Do not answer a fool who says something foolish.Scholars who support this interpretation include Hubbard (page 398), Ross (page 1088), and McKane (page 596). These scholars all conclude that in some situations it is better to remain silent rather than to participate in a foolish discussion. For example:
Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools (NLT) (CEV, NLT, GNT)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The phrase according to his folly implies some kind of answer.UBS (page 559) points out that the LXX translated the Hebrew preposition in two different ways in these proverbs. In 26:4a it used a Greek preposition that means “in favor of.” In 26:5a it used a preposition that means “against.” Waltke (pages 348–349) concludes that the two verses refer to different kinds of answers, not to silence in verse 4 versus an answer in verse 5. Fox (pages 793–794) agrees with Waltke.

Some other ways to translate this line are:

Don’t give fools a foolish answer (NCV)

When you answer a fool, do not speak foolishly

26:4b

or you yourself will be like him.

Otherwise you^(sing) will resemble them yourself.
If you speak like that, even you will become foolish like him.

or: The word that the BSB translates as or is literally “lest.” It introduces the bad result of ignoring the preceding command. Other ways to introduce this result are to start a new sentence with a word such as “Otherwise” or a phrase such as “If you answer him like that.”

you yourself will be like him: In Hebrew, the pronoun yourself is emphatic. It focuses the reader’s attention on the contrast between his current wisdom and what he would become if he answered like a fool.Waltke (page 349).

Some other ways to translate this line are:

or you will be like him yourself (NIV)

or you will become as foolish as they are (NLT)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

כְּ֭סִיל כְּ⁠אִוַּלְתּ֑⁠וֹ & לּ֥⁠וֹ

fool according,to_of,his_foolishness & for=him/it

Here, a stupid one, his, and him refer to a type of person in general, not a specific person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. See how you translated a stupid one in [10:18](../10/18.md). Alternate translation: “any stupid person according to that person’s folly … that person”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

כְּ⁠אִוַּלְתּ֑⁠וֹ

according,to_of,his_foolishness

This could mean: (1) according to the reasoning of a stupid one. Alternate translation: “according to his foolish reasoning” (2) in the same manner as a stupid one. Alternate translation: “in a foolish manner”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

כְּ⁠אִוַּלְתּ֑⁠וֹ

according,to_of,his_foolishness

See how you translated the abstract noun folly in [5:23](../05/23.md).

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / rpronouns

תִּשְׁוֶה & גַם־אָֽתָּה

like & also/even you(ms)

Solomon uses the word yourself to emphasize how important it is to not become like a stupid one. Use a way that is natural in your language to indicate this significance. Alternate translation: “even you become like”

Parallel PROV 26:4

Section 25:1–29:27: This is Hezekiah’s collection of Solomon’s proverbs

Paragraph 26:4–5

26:4a

26:4b