The Person Who Thinks He Is Wise(Proverbs 26)

Proverbs 26 begins with a long series about the fool (verses 1–11).

One of the most interesting parts is verses 4 and 5.

「Do not answer a fool according to his folly,

or you yourself will become like him.(v.4)」

「Answer a fool according to his folly,

or he will be wise in his own eyes. (v.5)」

"Do not answer."

"Answer."

These two seemingly contradictory commands stand side by side.

From the very beginning, wisdom cannot be reduced to a simple rule or formula.

It reminds me of the previous chapter.

「It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,

but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.」

　　　　　　　　　　 (Proverbs 25:2)

Wisdom is not something we possess.

It is something hidden, waiting to be sought.

A person who is satisfied within his own eyes has stopped searching.

Then, after eleven verses describing the fool, another person appears.

「Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?

There is more hope for a fool than for him.」

　　　　　　　　 (Proverbs 26:12)

A person wise in his own eyes?

Let's look at the Hebrew text.

רָאִיתָ אִישׁ חָכָם בְּעֵינָיו

(Ra'ita ish ḥakham be'enav)

　　　　　רָאִיתָ　　　　

　　　　　　(Ra'ita) — Have you seen?

אִישׁ　　　　　

　　　　　　(Ish) — A man

חָכָם　　　

　　　　　　(Ḥakham) — Wise

בְּעֵינָיו　　　

　　　　　　(Be'enav) — In his own eyes

תִּקְוָה לִכְסִיל מִמֶּנּוּ

　(Tikvah likhesil mimmennu)

תִּקְוָה　　　

　　　　　　(Tikvah) — Hope

לִכְסִיל　　　

　　　　　　(Likhesil) — For a fool

מִמֶּנּוּ　　　

　　　　　　(Mimmennu) — Than for him

　　　　※Hebrew is read from right to left.

　　　　　　　(Proverbs 26:12)

The verse begins with רָאִיתָ (Ra'ita)—

"Have you seen?"

The key expression is בְּעֵינָיו (Be'enav).

The text does not simply say,

"a wise man."

It says,

"wise in his own eyes."

According to Proverbs, a person who believes, "I am already wise," is in a more serious condition than the fool.

After eleven verses describing the fool, the reader is suddenly confronted with an unexpected question:

"Have you seen?"

What seemed to be about someone else quietly becomes a question for the reader.

That is a painful word to hear.

A morning to listen to God's Word rather than trusting our own eyes.