Proverbs describes several categories of fools, each progressively worse than the last. The journey begins with the simple person—someone who is mentally naïve but morally irresponsible. “The simple…is the kind of person who is easily led, gullible, silly. Mentally, he is naïve…morally, he is willful and irresponsible…Because of his lazy thoughtlessness, he may need a visual aid to bring him to repentance” (p. 36). For this person, the most effective path to wisdom comes through concrete examples—visual aids that shake them from their empty-headedness (Proverbs 19:25). Proverbs 7 tells the tragic story of such a person. As one commentator notes, “One does not stay still: a man who is empty-headed will end up wrong-headed” (p. 37).
“One does not stay still: a man who is empty-headed will end up wrong-headed.”
Derek Kidner
Proverbs devotes more attention to the fool than to any other type. But here’s what’s crucial: “The fool [as Proverbs has in mind is] a man’s chosen outlook, rather than his mental equipment” (p. 37). This is about willful choice, not intellectual capacity. First, the fool becomes dull and obstinate by his own decision. He lacks the patience to pursue wisdom, expecting it will somehow come to him through “osmosis.” His real struggle is spiritual—he prefers folly over the fear of the Lord. His fake wisdom makes him dangerous. He wastes your time and breaks the hearts of those who love him. The fool’s condition deteriorates into moral insolence as he makes decisions “impatient of all advice.” He becomes thoroughly boorish, closed off to anything except his own way, rejecting both God and reason. The final stage is the scoffer—the polar opposite of the wise person. His strategic mischief aims to tear down wisdom itself.
Disclaimer: Information in my “slip-box” doesn’t necessarily reflect my agreement with the source or all its content. Recording diverse perspectives helps strengthen one’s position beyond the echo chamber of like-minded thinkers. By documenting alternative viewpoints, we engage in the intellectual wrestling match that ultimately deepens our understanding.
I aspire to post one note from my “slip-box” every weekday. If you want to learn more about how to work with knowledge, click this link: What is knowledge management?
Pastor Dan Patrick, raised in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., holds both a Bible degree and a Master’s of Divinity. He has ministered across five states from coast to coast, serving in various capacities, including pastoral leadership. Dan’s primary mission is to help people love God’s Word and find their purpose in God’s work.
