Chapter Overview
Summary
Proverbs 26 is the Psalter-of-Proverbs' most-sustained satirical-chapter — a methodical catalog of FOOLS (vv. 1–12), SLUGGARDS (vv. 13–16), and QUARRELERS (vv. 17–22), closing with GENERAL-TREACHERY (vv. 23–28). Verse 11 — 'like a dog that returns to its vomit' — is cited at 2 Peter 2:22.
Notable Variants
26:4–5 'answer not / answer' paradox — two-adjacent-verses give opposite-advice; 26:11 'dog returns to vomit' → 2 Peter 2:22; 26:27 'whoever digs a pit will fall into it' — self-entrapment theology.
Structural Notes
MT Prov 26 = LXX Prov 26. 28 verses. The fools-sluggards-quarrelers satirical catalog.
Like snow in summer and rain at harvest, honor does not suit a fool.
'Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool' tracks MT. SNOW-IN-SUMMER — seasonal-mismatch analogy.
Like a fluttering sparrow, like a darting swallow, an undeserved curse will not land.
'Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight' tracks MT.
The whip suits the horse, the bridle the donkey, and a rod for the fool's back.
'A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools' tracks MT.
Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will become like him.
'Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself' tracks MT. The FIRST-HORN of the paradox — do NOT answer a fool.
Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.
'Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes' tracks MT. The SECOND-HORN — DO answer a fool. The two-adjacent-verses deliberately present the opposite-advice. Rabbinical and patristic exegesis: one CANNOT-mechanically-follow-rules — one must discern when-to-answer and when-to-refuse-answering.
Cutting off your own feet and drinking violence — that is sending a message through a fool.
'Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence' tracks MT.
Legs hang limp on a lame person — so does a proverb in the mouth of fools.
'Like a lame man's legs, which hang useless, is a proverb in the mouth of fools' tracks MT.
Like tying a stone into a sling — that is giving honor to a fool.
'Like one who binds the stone in the sling is one who gives honor to a fool' tracks MT.
A thornbush brandished by a drunk — that is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
'Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools' tracks MT.
An archer who wounds everyone at random — that is one who hires a fool or hires a passerby.
'Like an archer who wounds everyone is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard' tracks MT.
As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.
Masoretic (WLC)
כְּכֶלֶב שָׁב עַל־קֵאוֹ כְּסִיל שׁוֹנֶה בְאִוַּלְתּוֹ
Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly
Septuagint (LXX)
ὥσπερ κύων ὅταν ἐπέλθῃ ἐπὶ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἔμετον καὶ μισητὸς γένηται οὕτως ἄφρων τῇ ἑαυτοῦ κακίᾳ ἀναστρέψας ἐπὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτίαν
As when a dog returns to his own vomit and becomes abominable, so is the fool who returns in his own wickedness to his own sin
2 PETER 2:22 CITATION. Peter cites this verse at 2 Peter 2:22: 'What the true proverb says has happened to them: THE DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT (kyōn epistrepsas epi to idion exerama), and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.' Peter's citation follows the LXX's 'dog-returns-to-its-own-vomit' vocabulary (epistrepsas vs. LXX's epelthē — slight variant, same meaning).
THE DOG-AND-SOW PAIR. Peter combines this-verse with a second-proverb (the sow-returning-to-mire — not in canonical OT, possibly from a lost-source or proverbial). Both images describe apostasy-from-cleansing. 2 Peter 2:22 describes those who have-known-the-way-of-righteousness and turned-back.
Do you see a person wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
'Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him' tracks MT. SELF-WISE worse than fool. Romans 12:16 ('never be wise in your own sight') extends.
The lazy person says, 'A lion is on the road! A lion is in the open square!'
'The sluggard says: There is a lion in the road! There is a lion in the streets!' tracks MT. Sluggard-imaginary-obstacles // Prov 22:13.
A door turns on its hinges, and the lazy person turns on his bed.
'As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed' tracks MT. DOOR-ON-HINGES SLUGGARD — turning but going nowhere.
The lazy person buries his hand in the dish; he is too tired to bring it back to his mouth.
'The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth' tracks MT. // Prov 19:24.
The lazy person is wiser in his own eyes than seven people who give thoughtful answers.
'The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly' tracks MT.
Grabbing a dog by the ears — that is a passerby who meddles in someone else's quarrel.
'Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears' tracks MT.
Like a madman shooting flaming arrows and death —
'Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death' tracks MT.
that is a person who deceives his neighbor and then says, 'I was only joking!'
'Is the man who deceives his neighbor and says: I am only joking!' tracks MT. ONLY-JOKING as sin-excuse — the humor-cover deception.
Without wood, a fire goes out; without a gossip, conflict dies down.
'For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases' tracks MT. WHISPERER-FUELS-FIRE — gossip as conflict-kindling.
Charcoal for embers and wood for fire — so is a quarrelsome person for kindling conflict.
'As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife' tracks MT.
The words of a gossip are like tasty morsels; they go down into the innermost parts.
'The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body' tracks MT. // Prov 18:8.
Silver glaze over a clay pot — that is burning lips with a wicked heart.
'Like the glaze covering an earthen vessel are fervent lips with an evil heart' tracks MT.
A hateful person disguises himself with his lips, but inside he stores up deceit.
'Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart' tracks MT.
When he makes his voice gracious, do not trust him, for seven abominations fill his heart.
'When he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart' tracks MT.
Hatred may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed before the assembly.
'Though his hatred be covered with deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly' tracks MT. Luke 12:2 ('nothing is covered up that will not be revealed') extends.
Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and whoever rolls a stone — it will roll back on him.
'Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling' tracks MT. PIT-DIGGER-FALLS-IN poetic-justice. Ps 7:15–16, 9:15 repeat. Galatians 6:7 ('whatever one sows, that will he also reap').
A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth brings ruin.
'A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin' tracks MT.