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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadInternational Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Fool; Folly
Subjects in this Topic:
fool × ×‘×œ, naÌ„bhaÌ„l, ×ויל, 'ĕwı̄l, כּסיל, keṣı̄l, סכל, sÌ£aÌ„khaÌ„l and forms; ἀÌφÏων, aÌphroÌ„n, ἀφÏοσυÌνη, aphrosuÌneÌ„, μωÏοÌÏ‚, moÌ„roÌs):
I. In the Old Testament
1. General
Taking the words generally, apart from the Wisdom literature, we find naÌ„bhaÌ„l frequently translated “fool†and nebhaÌ„laÌ„h, “follyâ€; naÌ„bhaÌ„l, however, denotes a wicked person, an evil character, “shamelessly immoral,†equivalent to “a son of Belial†(Cheyne), rather than a merely “foolish†person, and nebhaÌ„laÌ„h, “wickedness,†“shameless impropriety,†rather than simple folly. We have almost a definition of naÌ„bhaÌ„l in : “For the fool will speak folly, and his heart will work iniquity, to practice profaneness, and to utter error against Yahweh, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.†Abigail described her husband, NaÌ„bhaÌ„l, as “a son of Belial†(the Revised Version (British and American) “worthless fellowâ€), “for as his name is, so is he†(), and what we read of him bears out this character. Other occurrences of the words support the above meaning; they are generally associated with some form of wickedness, frequently with base and unnatural lewdness (; ; ; , ; , ; ). When in ; it is said, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God,†it is followed by the statement, “They are corrupt, they have done abominable works,†showing that more than “folly†is implied. In , the King James Version naÌ„bhaÌ„l is translated “vile person†and nebhaÌ„laÌ„h “villany,†the Revised Version (British and American) “fool†and “folly,†; haÌ„lal, implying loud boasting is in the King James Version translated “foolish,†but it means, rather, “arrogant,†which the Revised Version (British and American) adopts (; ; , margin “foolsâ€); sÌ£aÌ„khaÌ„l, “a fool,†also occurs (; , etc.) for which word see (4) below; also yaÌ„'al “to be empty,†“to be or become foolish†(; ; ; ).
2. The Wisdom Literature
In the HÌ£okhmaÌ„h or Wisdom literature, which, within the Bible, is contained in Job, Proverbs (especially), Ecclesiastes, Canticles, some Psalms and certain portions of the prophetic writings, “fool†and “folly†are frequent and distinctive words. Their significance is best seen in contrast with “Wisdom.†This was the outcome of careful observation and long pondering on actual life in the light of religion and the Divine revelation. Wisdom had its seat in God and was imparted to those who “feared†Him (“The fear of Yahweh is the beginning (chief part) of knowledge†). Such wisdom was the essence of life, and to be without it was to walk in the way of death and destruction. The fool was he who was thoughtless, careless, conceited, self-sufficient, indifferent to God and His Will, or who might even oppose and scoff at religion and wise instruction. See WISDOM. Various words are used to designate “the fool†and his “folly.â€
(1) nābhāl (; ; ; -21); ה, nebhalah (; ) (see above).
(2) 'ĕwı̄l, one of the commonest, the idea conveyed by which is that of one who is hasty, impatient, self-sufficient (; ; ); despising advice and instruction (; ; ); ready to speak and act without thinking (; ; ); quick to get angry, quarrel and cause strife (; 'iwweleth; ); unrestrained in his anger (; ); silly, stupid even with brute stupidity (; ; ; compare ; ); he is associated with “transgression†(; ; , ), with “sin†(), with the “scoffer†(same place) ; 'iwweleth, “foolishness†occurs (; ; ; “folly,†, , , etc.).
(3) keṣı̄l is the word most frequent in Proverbs. It is probably from a root meaning “thickness,†“sluggishness,†suggesting a slow, self-confident person, but it is used with a wide reference. Self-confidence appears (; ); ignorance (); hate of instruction (; ); thoughtlessness (; ); self-exposure (; ; ; ; ; ); anger and contention (; ; ); rage (; ); indolence and improvidence (; ); silly merriment (, , ); brutishness (; compare ; ); it is associated with slander (), with evil ().
(4) sÌ£aÌ„khaÌ„l, sÌ£ekhel, sÌ£ikhluÌ„th, also occur. These are probably from a root meaning “to be stopped up†(Cheyne), and are generally taken as denoting thickheadedness; but they are used in a stronger sense than mere foolishness (compare ; , etc.). These words do not occur in Prov, but in ; ; sÌ£ikhluÌ„th is associated with “madness†(“Wickedness is folly, and ... foolishness is madnessâ€).
(5) pethı̄, “simple,†is only once translated “foolish†( the King James Version).
(6) ba‛ar, 'brutish,†is translated “foolish†( the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American) “brutishâ€).
(7) taÌ„pheÌ„l, “insipid,†“untempered,†is translated “foolish†(); tiphlaÌ„h, “insipidity†(, “foolishly,†the English Revised Version, “with foolishnessâ€; , “follyâ€; , “folly,†the King James Version marginâ€unsavoury, or, an absurd thingâ€).
(8) tohŏlaÌ„h ( : “Behold, he putteth no trust in his servants; and his angels he chargeth with folly†(Delitzsch, “imperfection,†others, “errorâ€), the King James Version marginâ€nor in his angels in whom he put lightâ€).
II. In the Apocrypha
In the continuation of the Wisdom literature in The Wisdom of Solomon and Ecclus, “fool†frequently occurs with a signification similar to that in Proverbs; in The Wisdom of Solomon we have aphrōn (12:24; 15:5, etc.), in Ecclesiasticus, mōros (18:18; 19:11, etc.; 20:13; 21:16, etc.).
III. In the New Testament
In the New Testament we have various words translated “fool,†“foolish,†“folly,†etc., in the ordinary acceptation of these terms; aphroÌ„n, “mindless,†“witless†(; ; ); aphrosuneÌ„, “want of mind or wisdom†(; ); aÌnoia, “want of understanding†(); moÌ„raıÌnoÌ„, “to make dull,†“foolish†(; ); moÌ„ros, “dull,†“stupid†(; ; ; , ); moÌ„rıÌa, “foolishness†(, etc.); moÌ„rologıÌa, “foolish talk†().
In our Lord says: “Whosoever shall say (to his brother), Thou fool (moÌ„reÌ), shall be in danger of the hell of fire (the Gehenna of fire).†Two explanations of this word are possible: (1) that it is not the vocative of the Greek moÌ„rosÌŒ - a word which was applied by Jesus Himself to the Pharisees (, ), but represents the Hebrew moÌ„raÌ„h, “rebel†applied in by Moses to the people, “ye rebels†(for which he was believed to be excluded from the promised land; compare ; hence, we have in the Revised Version, margin “or moÌ„reh, a Hebrew expression of condemnationâ€); or (2) that, as our Lord spake in the Aramaic it is the Greek translation of a word representing the Hebrew naÌ„bhaÌ„l, “vile, or worthless fellow,†atheist, etc. (; ).