What Kind of Fool Am I?

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline” Prov. 1:7

The primary problem with fools as described in the Bible is that of pride.  As we look through scripture, look for these traits:

• They are unteachable. They refuse to accept correction, listen to advice, or take personal responsibility. Instead, they think they are always right and others are fools.
• They have control issues. They think everyone should listen to them and do what they say; often if they meet with resistance, they can be very angry. They seem to fear allowing anyone else (including God) to be in charge. Many times, they feel somehow that they are above the system - the rules that apply to everyone else don't apply to them.
• They do not have spiritual insight.  Since the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and that is why the way of wisdom seems ridiculous to a fool. He might even mock those who walk in it.

There are FOUR Hebrew words for a fool.  It’s notable that they have more words for this than English does, because usually this is reversed! There will be 4 or more English words for a single Hebrew word.

• A simple fool, or peti, is a person who makes mistakes but quickly rights them and is restored to fellowship with God and with others.  Proverbs 1:4, 22, 32; Proverbs 7:7; Proverbs 8:5; Proverbs 9:4, 6, 16; Proverbs 14:15, 18; Proverbs 19:25; Proverbs 21:11; Proverbs 22:3; Proverbs 27:12; Psalm 116:6
• The hardened fool, kesil and ewil, is someone who makes mistakes but never learns from them and will not listen to others.   Proverbs 3:35; Proverbs 8:5; Proverbs 10:1, 18, 23; Proverbs 12:23; Proverbs 13:16, 19-20; Proverbs 14:7-8, 16, 24, 33; Proverbs 15:2, 7, 14; Proverbs 15:20; Proverbs 17:10, 12, 16, 21, 24-25; Proverbs 18:2, 6-7; Proverbs 19:1, 10, 13, 29; Proverbs 21:20; Proverbs 23:9; Proverbs 26:1-12; Proverbs 28:26; Proverbs 29:11, 20; Ecclesiastes 2:14-16; Ecclesiastes 4:5, 13; Eccl 5:1-4; Eccl 6:8; Eccl 7:4-6, 9; Eccl 9:17; Eccl 10:2, 12,15; Psalms 92:6
• The mocking fool, or lewtz. The mocking fool mocks the things of God. This word means “scoffer” or “scorner” and today means a clown. When you encounter cynical people who disregard the things of God, you know these people are mocking fools. Proverbs 1:22; Proverbs 3:34; Proverbs 9:7-8, 12; Proverbs 13:1; Proverbs 14:6, 9; Proverbs 15:12; Proverbs 19:25, 28-29; Proverbs 20:1; Proverbs 21:11, 24; Proverbs 22:10; Proverbs 24:9
• The God-denying fool, or nabal. This term relates to the morally wicked person who ignores the disgrace he brings on his family and who despises holiness.  He conducts his life without any recognition of God and thus is corrupt and perverse. Psalm 14:1, 3; Ps 39:8; Ps 53:1; Ps 74:18, 22; Proverbs 17:7; Prov 17:21; Prov 30:22; Isaiah 32:5-6 (Nabal is also a person, whose story is told in 1 Samuel 25. He insults David, is about to be killed, is saved by his wife Abigail, and then dies of his foolishness. Abigail goes on to become David’s first wife.)

(This section is expanded from Os Hillman http://www.marketplaceleaders.org/becoming-a-fool/ using Strong’s Concordance. HT Randy Deater)


1)    Do you see a difference among types 2-4? Do you know any other types?


Let’s read Proverbs 26.
2)    Can we put in plain words what the author describes as foolish behavior? What makes it foolish?



Let’s read Proverbs 17:7-24.
3)    What happens to fools? What happens to those around them?



Let’s read Proverbs 18:9-24.
4)    How can we deal with fools and/or foolish behavior? What is our responsibility to those with a fool in their lives?



The Top (Biblical) Signs of a Fool:
1.    A fool folds his hands and wastes away. (Ecclesiastes 4:5 & 10:12),
2.    Laughter of a fool is pointless or meaningless (Ecclesiastes 7:6)
3.    Silence is their only camouflage (Proverbs 17:28).
4.    Insults those trying to advise them. (Proverbs 9:7)
5.    Talk their way into a beating. (Proverbs 18:6)
6.    Hates those who try to correct them. (Proverbs 9:8)
7.    Works against those trying to help them. (Proverbs 19:3).
8.    Prefers speaking their opinion to gaining understanding. (Proverbs 18:2).
9.    Despise discipline. (Proverbs 1:7)
10.    Cannot apply wisdom. (Proverbs 26:7,9)
11.    Repeats stupidity. (Proverbs 26:11)
12.    Stubborn to the point of fighting. (Proverbs 20:3)
13.    Dangerous to themselves. (Proverbs 12)
14.    …and even their words are dangerous to others.
15.    They live in darkness and don’t know what makes them stumble. (Proverbs 4:19)
16.    Can’t see where they are headed. (Ecclesiastes 2:14)
17.    Wears their anger on their sleeve, even when it’s counterproductive (Proverbs 12:16)
18.    “Better to meet a bear robbed of its cubs than a fool carried away with his stupidity.” (Proverbs 17:12)
19.    Behavior makes no more sense than a drunk’s. (Proverbs 20:1)
20.    Inflates their own sense of importance. (Galatians 6:3)!
21.    Doesn’t prepare for even important endeavors. (Matthew 7:26-27)

Proverbs 8 & 9 personify Wisdom and Folly as competing for your attention.  Wisdom is calling out to the senseless, trying to teach and save. But Folly… “is loud, gullible, and ignorant.  She sits at the doorway of her house. She is enthroned on the high ground of the city and calls to those who pass by, those minding their own business, ‘Whoever is gullible turn in here!’ ” (Prov 9:13-16)

More resources:
http://bible.org/seriespage/fool-proverbs-261-11
http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-evangelical-dictionary/fool-foolishness-folly.html

Keeping a Kosher Mouth

Adapted from Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus, by Lois Tverburg, chapter

1)    Do you ever say things you wish you could take back? Like what?

When we think about what the bible says about speaking, maybe the first two things to come to mind are commandments: (Exodus 20)
7 “Never use the name of the Lord your God carelessly. The Lord will make sure that anyone who carelessly uses his name will be punished.
16 “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.”

2)    Do you think about these commandments ever? How do you interpret them?


Looking for practical wisdom, we should always consult proverbs.

• 12:18 Careless words stab like a sword, but the words of wise people bring healing.
• 12:22 Lips that lie are disgusting to the Lord, but honest people are his delight.
• 14:3 Because of a stubborn fool’s words a whip is lifted against him, but wise people are protected by their speech.
• 16:23-24 A wise person’s heart controls his speech, and what he says helps others learn. Pleasant words are like honey from a honeycomb – sweet to the spirit and healthy for the body.
• 18:6-8 By talking, a fool gets into an argument, and his mouth invites a beating.  A fool’s mouth is his ruin. His lips are a trap to his soul.  The words of a gossip are swallowed greedily, and they go down into a person’s innermost being.
• 18:20-21 A person’s speaking ability provides for his stomach. His talking provides him a living. The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love to talk will have to eat their own words.

3)    What do you get from this advice? What seems most important in it to you?



In our times we seem to expect that words are of little import, it’s what we do that matters. There almost seems to be an expectation that people will only speak in their own interest or will lie if need be, so don’t pay attention to words.
4)    How does the modern casual attitude towards speech affect our lives?



Jesus spoke a few times about the words we speak.

Read Matthew 5:33-37
5)    What is Jesus saying here? Does it apply to our time as well as to his time?



Read Matthew 15:1-20
6)    What is Jesus’ point? Why might he be so upset? Did the Pharisees ask a bad question?

The single longest teaching on speaking comes in James. Not surprisingly, given the overlap with proverbs, some consider the book to have the most practical advice in the New Testament on Christian duties. Read chapter 3.
7)    What is the advice you find in here about the words we use?




One of the reasons that this chapter of Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus is so interesting is that the author shares rabbinical teaching that comes from the Old Testament scriptures on speech. They’ve thought about exactly how we use speech in sinful ways. It’s like they’re trying to work out this part of Psalm 34:

Ps 34:12-13 Which of you wants a full life? Who would like to live long enough to enjoy good things? Keep your tongue from saying evil things and your lips from speaking deceitful things.

•    Motzei Shem Ra – to put out a bad name – slander. Miriam and Aaron’s criticism of Moses is seen as this (in Numbers 12). This was Jesus phrase in the Beatitudes.
•    Lashon Hara – an evil tongue – telling negative truths.  This is seen as violating humility (which Paul recommends in Phillipians 2:3). Warning sign,  “he’s great, but…” Illustration: slicing a pillow.
•    Avak Lashan Hara – the dust of an evil tongue – non-verbal commentary, or inviting lashan hara by a set up question or invitation. Or sharing something because it shows another in a bad light.
•    Halbanat Panim – whitening the face – humiliating another. “The pain of humiliation is more bitter than death.” Especially dangerous when correcting someone.
•    Geneivat Da’at – stealing knowledge – to mislead without speaking untruth. To imply something false, often to give a too good impression of yourself or something else.  Fake discounts, omitted information, ingenuous offers. Danger sign: someone feels duped.


Speech is a favorite topic of discussion by many wits and wise folk.
•    Once a word has been allowed to escape, it cannot be recalled.  ~Horace
•    “How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is To have a thankless child!” –Shakespeare, King Lear (Lear’s complaining about his daughter.)
•    “Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.” – Ben Franklin
•    “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” -  Abraham Lincoln
•    A lie does not consist in the indirect position of words, but in the desire and intention, by false speaking, to deceive and injure your neighbour. - Jonathan Swift
•    “It takes your enemy and your friend working together to hurt you to the heart: the one to slander you, and the other to get the news to you.” – Mark Twain

8)    Do any of these seem biblical to you, or a good way to put the scriptural advice?


Much of the above is about speech to avoid. What about words we should try to say? David prayed

Psalm 19:14 “May the words from my mouth and the thoughts from my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my defender.”

9)    What should we be trying to say?

Which Way Wisdom?

Deut 34: 9 Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the Spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses.

Not having Moses handy, we may have to seek another way to be wise.  Although wisdom is mentioned through the bible, the book that really meditates on it is Proverbs, written by Solomon and perhaps some later authors.  Trivia of the day: the Hebrew word for wisdom seems to have grown out of a word for know-how that was used by fisherman.  So maybe we should just go fishing?

Read Proverbs 1:1-7
1.    What is wisdom for?  How can you tell when someone has it?  What is the difference between wisdom and intelligence?



After the warning against fools enticing you away from wisdom, the tone suddenly switches.  Read Prov 1:20-33.
2.    Suddenly wisdom is Wisdom and is personified.  There are three theories about this.
a.    Solomon is being poetic.  Why would it be reasonable to think this?


b.    Solomon is describing the Holy Spirit. Why would it be reasonable to think this?


c.    Solomon is describing Jesus., Why would it be reasonable to think this?


In Proverbs 8, wisdom again speaks.  “Does not wisdom call out?  Does not understanding raise her voice?”  Read Prov 8:22-36.
3.    Considering this and Chapter 1, what do you think about Wisdom personified?



In Proverbs 9:10, Wisdom advises, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”  Read Prov 2:1-10.  (Where wisdom is back to being an attribute.)
4.    How does one become wise?



Components of Wisdom
5.    Some of the themes from the sayings of Solomon.  Try to find connections with your own experiences or in what you’ve seen.

Prov 11: 2-3 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.  The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.” 

Righteousness:  Why is righteousness wise?

Prov 16:23-24  “A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction.  Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

What you say:  the words of the wise are true, gentle, calming, testifying.  Why is this wise?

Prov 16: 3 “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” 

What you do: the work of the wise is timely, fruitful, prioritized, and planned.  Why is this wise?

Proverbs 18:15  “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.”

How you grow: the wise are open to instruction, discipline, counsel and correction.  Why is this wise?


6.  Page through Proverbs 10-21.  What else do you notice?  What themes are there?








The 4 wise creatures:  Prov 30:24-28

“Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;  are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; a lizard* can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces.”

7.    What are they trying to teach us by these examples?
ant –

coney –

locust –

lizard –


8.    If you were writing down your sayings for the next generation, what’s one proverb you would want in the book?






Prov 24: 13-14 “Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.  Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.”

Homework?  Other places to find wisdom mentioned in scripture:  Job 28, Ps 111, James 1

Note:  the youth group study is off for the summer, so I'll mostly just be posting monthly for the men's study.