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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comKeil and Delitzsch Commentary - Proverbs 26:12 - 26:12
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12 Seest thou a man who is wise in his own eyes?
The fool hath more hope than he.
Regarding the perf. hypotheticum רָאִיתָ, vid., at Pro 22:29. Line second is repeated, Pro 29:20, unchanged. מִמֶּנּוּ, prae eo, is equivalent to the Mishnic יוֹתֵר מִמֶּנּוּ, plus quam ei. As the conversion of a sinner, who does not regard himself as righteous, is more to be expected than that of a self-righteous man (Mat 9:12.), so the putting right of a fool, who is conscious that he is not wise (cf. Pro 24:7), is more likely to be effected than that of one deeming himself wise; for the greatest hindrance to any turning toward that which is better lies in the delusion that he does not need it.
(Note: The Targum has 12b after Codd. פְּקַח סַכְלָא טַב מִגֵּיהּ (= Syr. pekach, expedit, convenit, melius est), it is far better circumstanced regarding the fool than regarding him. Vid., Geiger's Zeitschr. vi. (1868), p. 154.)
Thus far the group of proverbs regarding fools.