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Daily Audio Proverb
Fools Answer? Confusion
In today's version of the Proverb'2 26:4-5 I was initially confused as the two sciptures appeared to me to be in direct oposition to one another
when I looked it up in the CEV it becomes a little clearer to me though...... Although I still wonder the if the basic question should be, why argue with a fool at all? Although I guess if you find yourself in te unfortunate position of having to converse with a fool you are supposed to answer theior foolishiness with wisdom otherwise you become a fool like them or they become wiser in their own eyes is that a correct assesment, I had to read this a bunch of times , can anybody more well versed cast soem more light on this for me? My tendency would be to clam up because I don't think of myself as being wise by any means and lack any confidence that I would ever win a fool over in an arguement..... The Bible I thought also saus not to cast your pearls before swine lest they trample you or something like that elsewhere soesn't it..... Hmmm I was just curious?

?4? Don’t give fools a foolish answer, or you will be just like them.
?5? But answer fools as they should be answered, or they will think they are really wise.
The Holy Bible : New Century Version , Containing the Old and New Testaments. Dallas, TX : Word Bibles, 1991, S. Pr 26:4


4 When arguing with fools, don’t answer their foolish arguments, or you will become as foolish as they are.
5 When arguing with fools, be sure to answer their foolish arguments, or they will become wise in their own estimation.
Holy Bible : New Living Translation. electronic ed. Wheaton : Tyndale House, 1997, c1996, S. Pr 26:3
RAHope4All 11/26/2009 19:23

Replies:
Katherine 05/29/2011 05:33
Hi Rick
I know it's a long time since you posted this, but I came across it today, and this is my response, for what it's worth:
Have you looked up commentaries and things that may spread a little light on this for you? I really love Matthew Henry's commentaries. You'll find the Concise version and the Complete, much longer version online pretty easily. Here's a link to one site, for example:
http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/proverbs/26.html
I hope you'll find good old MH helpful, and perhaps this will start you off (or confirm what you've already found out) on an interesting and rewarding journey. These two verses do seem to contradict each other, which is quite confusing, but wiser people than I have left guidance available to us, thanks be to God!
Hope this helps,
With love in the Lord,
Katherine