4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
or you yourself will be just like him.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly,
or he will be wise in his own eyes.
Proverbs 26 is unique in that the word “fool” appears in almost every verse. These verses point out the fool’s unwise behavior and give wisdom in how to deal with the actions of the fool. Verses 4-5 are a pair of contradicting verses. This contradiction almost kept the book of Proverbs out of the original Jewish canon of biblical books. Even in contradiction, there is wisdom to be gained from these verses. So then, should we answer a fool, or not answer a fool? Yes. There is no one definite answer. The majority of folks would follow the advice of verse 4 and not answer a fool. They would not give the fool any attention or credibility, otherwise they may be pulled down to the fool’s level. On the other hand, a minority of people would follow the advice of verse 5 and answer the fool. This would expose their foolish ways, otherwise it may be more harmful if they were left to continue in their foolish actions. The wisdom to be gained from these two contradicting verses, can be seen from another wisdom verse, Ecclesiastes 3:7 “there is a time to be silent and a time to speak.” Wisdom is about timing. Wisdom does not always mean doing the same thing. Wisdom is trusting God to help us know when to be patient and keep silent, and when to speak.
Matt