Proverbs 26 is the 26th chapter of the Book of Proverbs in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.[1] The book is a compilation of several wisdom literature collections, with the heading in 1:1 may be intended to regard Solomon as the traditional author of the whole book, but the dates of the individual collections are difficult to determine, and the book probably obtained its final shape in the post-exilic period. This chapter is the last part of the fifth collection of the book,[2] so-called "the Second Solomonic Collection."
The following table shows the Hebrew text[3] [4] of Proverbs 26 with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).
| Verse | Hebrew | English translation (JPS 1917) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, So honour is not seemly for a fool. | ||
| 2 | As the wandering sparrow, as the flying swallow, So the curse that is causeless shall come home. | ||
| 3 | A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, And a rod for the back of fools. | ||
| 4 | Answer not a fool according to his folly, Lest thou also be like unto him. | ||
| 5 | Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes. | ||
| 6 | He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool Cutteth off his own feet, and drinketh damage | ||
| 7 | The legs hang limp from the lame; So is a parable in the mouth of fools. | ||
| 8 | As a small stone in a heap of stones, So is he that giveth honour to a fool. | ||
| 9 | As a thorn that cometh into the hand of a drunkard, So is a parable in the mouth of fools. | ||
| 10 | A master performeth all things; But he that stoppeth a fool is as one that stoppeth a flood. | ||
| 11 | As a dog that returneth to his vomit, So is a fool that repeateth his folly. | ||
| 12 | Seest thou a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope of a fool than of him. | ||
| 13 | The sluggard saith: ‘There is a lion in the way; Yea, a lion is in the streets.’ | ||
| 14 | The door is turning upon its hinges, And the sluggard is still upon his bed. | ||
| 15 | The sluggard burieth his hand in the dish; It wearieth him to bring it back to his mouth. | ||
| 16 | The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men that give wise answer. | ||
| 17 | He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife not his own, Is like one that taketh a dog by the ears. | ||
| 18 | As a madman who casteth firebrands, Arrows, and death; | ||
| 19 | So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, And saith: ‘Am not I in sport?’ | ||
| 20 | Where no wood is, the fire goeth out; And where there is no whisperer, contention ceaseth. | ||
| 21 | As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; So is a contentious man to kindle strife. | ||
| 22 | The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts of the body. | ||
| 23 | Burning lips and a wicked heart Are like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross. | ||
| 24 | He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, But he layeth up deceit within him. | ||
| 25 | When he speaketh fair, Believe him not; For there are seven abominations in his heart. | ||
| 26 | Though his hatred be concealed with deceit, His wickedness shall be revealed before the congregation. | ||
| 27 | Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein; And he that rolleth a stone, it shall return upon him. | ||
| 28 | A lying tongue hateth those that are crushed by it; And a flattering mouth worketh ruin. |
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes the Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008).
There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BC; some extant ancient manuscripts of this version include Codex Vaticanus (B;
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This chapter belongs to a further collection of Solomonic proverbs, transmitted andedited by royal scribes during the reign of Hezekiah, comprising Proverbs 25–29. Based on differences in style and subject-matter there could be two originally separate collections:
The first twelve verses of this chapter, except verse 2, "Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, so a curse without cause shall not alight",[5] form a series of sayings on the 'fool', so sometimes are called “the Book of Fools”.[6]
Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
so honor is not fitting for a fool.[7]
He who passes by and meddles with strife not belonging to him
is like one who takes a dog by the ears.[9]
. Michael D. Coogan . The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books: New Revised Standard Version, Issue 48 . Coogan . Michael David . Marc Zvi . Brettler . Carol Ann . Newsom . Pheme . Perkins . Augmented 3rd . Oxford University Press . 2007 . 9780195288810 .
. Michael V. Fox . Proverbs 10-31: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary . Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries . Yale University Press . 2009 . 978-0300155563.
. Henry Hampton Halley. Halley's Bible Handbook: an abbreviated Bible commentary . 24th (revised). Zondervan Publishing House . 1965 . 0-310-25720-4.