What is a fool according to the book of Proverbs?

"Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words" (v. 9). It is well that we understand who it is whom God calls a fool. Psalm 14:1 tells us, "The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’" Also, one who questions the truth of resurrection is called a fool (1 Cor. 15:35-36). More than this, the rich man who amassed such wealth as to consider he could live luxuriously for many years (Luke 12:16-21) was called a fool by God. In each case, the one who leaves God out of his life deserves that unsavory title, "fool."! Such a man will always despise true wisdom, so that it is hopeless to expect any proper response from him.

Verse 7 contains the keynote to the entire book. (See 9:10; Eccles. 12:13; Job 28:28; Psalm 111:10.) The word "fear" means a godly fear, reverence. This fear of the Lord is mentioned fourteen times in Proverbs. This childlike reverence, so sadly lacking among the young of our day, is the beginning of knowledge; there is no true knowledge apart from the fear of the Lord. It means to acknowledge the Lord, adore and worship Him, bow in faith to His revelation and put it above everything else. The foolish despise wisdom and instruction, they follow the philosophies of this world. To acknowledge the Lord to reverence and fear Him is thus written over the portal of the house of wisdom.

In full contrast with wisdom, and quite distinct from the scorner, is "the foolish woman." Here we have the picture of herself and her ways, her guests, and their end. Only we must not think that the folly in question means a feeble intellect, but rather the absence of care or thought, of heart or conscience, toward God, which Satan fosters in benighted man. "The fool has said in his heart, There is no God," and therefore neither seeks nor calls on Him. This at the last is antichrist. Here it is "the foolish woman," the state of things that entices, fleshly corruption rather than the haughty antagonist that sets it up.

The intelligence here commended began with the fear of Jehovah, and grew by hearing and gaining wise counsels which fools despise. Wisdom accordingly rests not on the tongue merely, but in the heart which prizes it.

Folly (aphrosune); so often in the Septuagint. "The fool hath said in his heart." He that is uninstructed, I suppose, and disregards both counsel and instruction. It borders therefore, as to both man and God, upon impiety, flowing from groundless independence of will, with no independence of understanding and knowledge. This in act or habit is, I suppose, folly, showing itself in recklessness of conduct - conduct inconsistent with the real relations and obligations under which we are. This as to God, it will be observed, is practical atheism. The Psalms and Proverbs are full of matter connected with this. It is sometimes put for the vile person - Nabal (a fool) but moros is used for that. It is intimately connected therefore with self-confidence and assumption; it may therefore have here moral connection with haughtiness (huperephania) and then we have great light upon Paul's use of it in 2 Corinthians 11. But it does not, nor ought to lose the weight of its simple sense, though this may lead us to the moral sources of it.

We are now introduced to a man of Israel, who lives in Maon, and whose possessions are in Carmel, but who is Nabal, "a fool," and is smitten for his folly. We shall find these places together in a portion of Judah which we have already taken as memorializing for us Israel's blessedness, — Maon, "dwelling-place," the habitation of God, and Carmel, "vineyard," His place of fruit. But yet the man, though of the house of Caleb, has fallen away wholly from the character of Caleb. He is, as already said, Nabal, the word used where it is written, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." Indeed this is what in Scripture "folly" mostly connects or is identified with, just as, for Scripture also, "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."

Scripture regards a fool as one who leaves God and eternity out of his reckoning. We may ask, Can there be anything worse? Yes, at least there is still a very real possibility of such a man's conversion. But a man who habitually speaks his mind without consideration is virtually a hopeless case. He is so self-opinionated that he thinks he need never take time to consider anything. It is evident that such an attitude will effectually hinder any change in the man. What he hears he will hastily condemn if it does not suit his own selfish thoughts.

"In the multitude of words sin is not lacking." This should speak seriously to us if we are given to much talk, for if talking incessantly, we give ourselves no time to consider what we say before saying it. Let us remember that we do have control over our lips, and if we are wise, we will restrain them (v. 19). Then when we do speak, our words will be "as choice silver," while even the heart (not only talk) of the wicked is of little value (v. 20), and if so, then what comes from his lips will be the same. The righteous, in contrast, will use their lips to give true food to many. "But fools die for lack of wisdom" (v. 21).

"A fool despises his father's instruction" (v. 5). How much more foolish is one who despises the instruction of God the Father! Absalom, a son of David, whose instruction was certainly of true value, despised that instruction, choosing to be a fool, and suffering the dreadful death of a fool! (2 Sam. 18:9-18). If he had been prudent, he would have before received correction, for we may be sure he had been given correcting instruction.

"The lips of the wise disperse knowledge" (v. 7). Then those who receive the knowledge are responsible to use it rightly, for though we can communicate knowledge to others, we cannot communicate wisdom. This must be received from God (James 1:5). But the fool does not even disperse knowledge: all he knows is foolishness.

"The wise in heart will receive commands" (v. 8), not by any means refusing such commands as though they were offensive, but when they are God's commands, they will welcome them. "But a prating fool will fall." His words oppose what is right and wise, and become his own undoing. Then "he who walks with integrity walks securely" (v. 9): his actions do not trip him up, while one who is perverse in his ways will expose his own folly: practically everyone will see through him.

"He who winks with the eye causes trouble." People usually wink when they want to deceive, and of course this causes trouble. "But a prating fool will fall." This was written in verse 8, but in verse 10 it is connected with one who winks with the eye, showing that the prating fool is guilty of worse evil than one who winks. He who winks may more easily get away with his deception, but one who is a prating fool so manifests his folly by coarse words that he will fall in the estimation of practically everyone.