Prv: Interpreting Proverbs

[bcbsr]

INTERPRETING PROVERBS

Pr 26:4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself.
Pr 26:5 Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.

Here are a pair of verses, one following the other, of which the foolish would claim contradict one another, as if the author in writing verse 5 forgot what he wrote in verse 4! In fact what they do is help us to understand how proverbs is to be read.

On the surface, taken literally, these appear as contradictory commands. But what we must understand is that for many proverbs there are two principles which describe the sense in which they are written which resolves such paradoxes.

Principle #1: Many of the apparent commands are to be taken not as explicit commands but rather as principles - IF A THEN B.

Principle #2: Most of the proverbs are GENERAL principles as opposed to things which are true in every particular case. Thus most should be understood to be preceeded with the expression "Generally speaking".

So for example in the cases above we would say
"Generally speaking if you answer a fool according to his folly then you will be like him, but on the other hand you will prevent him from being wise in his own eyes."

Thus you are presented with a choice in answering a fool. Proverbs considers the pros and cons but leaves it up to you to decide which is best for your particular circumstances. Thus proverbs is less a set of rules and regulations and more a set of observations from which the wise in spirit can derive applications.

An application of Principle #2 is to beware of applying labels universally. For example proverbs speaks much of "fools" as if there are a distinct group of people in the world who are fools and everyone else is not a fool. But in fact all of us are fools to different degrees. And so also is in the case with other such labels as the sluggard, the stingy, the scoffer, the righteous, the wise, the faithful. But this is not to say that it is inappropriate to label individuals. For such is done both in society and throughout the Bible. However such labels, if they refer to a person's behavior, are not to be taken in an absolute sense but rather to be understood as a description of the person's overall lifestyle or character.

The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources

 

[mindfulzen]

Ì think it is a misprint. The or should be and in the second verse. Will not check my bible right now, but I think so. So I live by the first one. This is my life right now, and I follow it. I talked to a former relative and best friend yesterday, that I had not met in person or spoken to in 4 years. And not a real talk then, bunch of bogus nonsense said with words, no real conversation. Now I was just dispassionate, and heard him out, talking a bunch of bogus, which I knew was not true, and did not question it or follow it. Just said, "if that is so, then so and so".He became flustered and angry.

Some people had told me that he had just been released from prison 3 months ago, for stabbing somebody. 8 months in jail. I did not know if it was true, but he just had to tell that to me too for some reason. I do not know if it was bragging or what it was, but I just dispassionately made him elaborate about it. And it stressed him a bit, he shifted a lot in the chair while doing so. Claimed it was an accident. A drunk person supposedly jumped at him so they fell over whille he was making some food at a party. I did not have an opinion about it, and did not judge. Then he told me that he did not do drugs, not even smoking weed, did not have contact with drugpeople we had in common before. So I asked him why not? More shifting in the seat, fiddling with phone, cigarette, etc, and some lies.

I had no emotion or judgement, just curiosity. ASnd then it seemed as a dam was broken, and it came to light. When I said that he used to be a semifunctioning drugperson, and loved weed, why had he stopped? He then told me that he had been on probation for three months, and if he was caught with drugs he would have to do more time. And he had smoked weed on sunday. Said monday first, but changed it to sunday. So, the thing about not going along with folly do work. Then people eventually understand that they can only be honest if they want to be in contact. They have no other option. And you stay dispassionate and do not judge, it becomes easier for them. Then they can lose fear, if you just meet them without being emotional about what relates to their issues and do not judge them, or want anything from it. So, I am going to go with this person to the dump and throw some furniture and stuff, asnd he will help me move some stuff, and I will go see his mother who is in poor health and oldd later today. So it does work. If I had become emotional and called him out on lies, we could have ended up in a fight. And he was closest to the kitchen where the knives are too. Or went along with lies, we could not have communicated anything of value at all.

If you act this out consistently, people will know where they have you, and not want to lie to you anymore, because the only thing people fear more than telling the truth, is getting called out for lying. So without calling out obvious lies, just make a point that you do not know if it is true, do an "if so". Then they might stop it, because without words they know, that the lie did not fly.