Are You Meant to Answer a Fool?

In Proverbs 26, it is written: "4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Or you will also be like him.5 Answer a fool as his folly deserves, That he not be wise in his own eyes," (Proverbs 26:4-5 NASB1995). In verse 4, we are told to not answer a fool; however, in verse 5, it says that we should answer a fool. There is no contradiction here; rather, this is a misreading of the text.

The ESV Study Bible explains: "These verses are especially striking in that they appear to contradict each other. To answer a fool according to his folly (v.5) is to keep replying to his remarks in order to show their folly. Verse 4 gives the general principle (answer not a fool), because you will end up like him yourself ... Verse 5 gives the exception ... because sometimes he or others may think to their own harm that he cannot be answered," (Crossway 1180).

"Answer a fool according to his folly. This maxim (or rule) at first sight seems absolutely antagonistic to the purport of the preceding verse; but it is not so really. The words, "according to his folly," in this verse mean, as his folly deserves, in so plain a way as is expose it, and shame him, and bring him to a better mind. Lest he be wise in his own conceit; thinking, it may be, that he has said something worth hearing, or put you to silence by his superior intelligence," (Jones). (C.f. Gill, Keil, Poole)

The idea is that generally, you should not answer a fool, but there are exceptions. A person should not use an epinephrine pen for no reason, but if they are having, say, an allergic reaction, they should. This is an exception to the general rule.

References:

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Keil, C. F., & Delitzsch, F. (1920). Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament. Library of the Union Theological Seminary.

Poole, Matthew. Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible. United States, Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, LLC, 1990.

The Pulpit Commentary, Volume 6. United States, Delmarva Publications, Inc., 2015.

Wolever, Terry. John Gill's Exposition of the Old and New Testaments: Some Background on the First Three Editions. United States, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2018.