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Saturday, June 28th, 2025
the Week of Proper 7 / Ordinary 12
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Read the Bible

Brenton's Septuagint

Proverbs 26:8

Open thy mouth with the word of God, and judge all fairly.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Fool;   Sling;   Thompson Chain Reference - Slings;   The Topic Concordance - Honor;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Fools;  

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Sling;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Greek Versions of Ot;   Parable;   Proverbs, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Boyhood ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Arms;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Sling;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Gem;   Heap;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Gems;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Giving honor to a foolis like binding a stone in a sling.
Hebrew Names Version
As one who binds a stone in a sling, So is he who gives honor to a fool.
King James Version
As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool.
English Standard Version
Like one who binds the stone in the sling is one who gives honor to a fool.
New American Standard Bible
Like one who binds a stone in a sling, So is one who gives honor to a fool.
New Century Version
Giving honor to a foolish person is like tying a stone in a slingshot.
Amplified Bible
Like one who [absurdly] binds a stone in a sling [making it impossible to throw], So is he who [absurdly] gives honor to a fool.
World English Bible
As one who binds a stone in a sling, So is he who gives honor to a fool.
Geneva Bible (1587)
As the closing vp of a precious stone in an heape of stones, so is he yt giueth glory to a foole.
Legacy Standard Bible
Like one who binds a stone in a sling,So is he who gives glory to a fool.
Berean Standard Bible
Like binding a stone into a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.
Contemporary English Version
Are you going to honor a fool? Why not shoot a slingshot with the rock tied tight?
Complete Jewish Bible
Like one who ties his stone to the sling is he who gives honor to a fool.
Darby Translation
As a bag of gems in a stoneheap, so is he that giveth honour to a fool.
Easy-to-Read Version
Showing honor to a fool is as bad as tying a rock in a sling.
George Lamsa Translation
Like a stone in a sling, so is he who gives honor to a fool.
Good News Translation
Praising someone who is stupid makes as much sense as tying a stone in a sling.
Lexham English Bible
Like binding a stone in a sling, so is giving honor to a fool.
Literal Translation
As he binding a stone on a sling, so is he giving honor to a fool.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He yt setteth a foole in hye dignite, yt is eue as yf a man dyd cast a precious stone vpo ye galous.
American Standard Version
As one that bindeth a stone in a sling, So is he that giveth honor to a fool.
Bible in Basic English
Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
As a small stone in a heap of stones, so is he that giveth honour to a fool.
King James Version (1611)
As hee that bindeth a stone in a sling; so is hee that giueth honour to a foole.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
He that setteth a foole in hye dignitie, that is euen as if a man would bynde a stone in a sling.
English Revised Version
As a bag of gems in a heap of stones, so is he that giveth honour to a fool.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
As he that casteth a stoon in to an heep of mercurie; so he that yyueth onour to an vnwijs man.
Update Bible Version
As one that binds a stone in a sling, So is he that gives honor to a fool.
Webster's Bible Translation
As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so [is] he that giveth honor to a fool.
New English Translation
Like tying a stone in a sling, so is giving honor to a fool.
New King James Version
Like one who binds a stone in a sling Is he who gives honor to a fool.
New Living Translation
Honoring a fool is as foolish as tying a stone to a slingshot.
New Life Bible
He who gives honor to a fool is like one who ties a stone in a sling.
New Revised Standard
It is like binding a stone in a sling to give honor to a fool.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Like tying a stone to a sling, so, is he that giveth honour, to a dullard.
Douay-Rheims Bible
As he that casteth a stone into the heap of Mercury: so is he that giveth honour to a fool.
Revised Standard Version
Like one who binds the stone in the sling is he who gives honor to a fool.
Young's Literal Translation
As one who is binding a stone in a sling, So [is] he who is giving honour to a fool.
THE MESSAGE
Putting a fool in a place of honor is like setting a mud brick on a marble column.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Like one who binds a stone in a sling, So is he who gives honor to a fool.

Contextual Overview

6 Give strong drink to those that are in sorrow, and the wine to drink to those in pain: 7 that they may forget their poverty, and may not remember their troubles any more. 8 Open thy mouth with the word of God, and judge all fairly. 9 Open thy mouth and judge justly, and plead the cause of the poor and weak.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

bindeth a stone in a sling: Heb. putteth a precious stone in a heap of stones, This probably refers, as Coverdale understands it, to the custom of throwing a stone to the heap under which a criminal was buried. So the Vulgate, Sicut qui mittit lapidem in acervum Mercurii; ita qui tribuit insipienti honorem, "As he who throws a stone to Mercury's heap, so is he who gives honour to a fool." Mercury was a heathen god of highways; and stones were erected in different parts to guide the traveller: hence those lines of Dr. Young, Death stands like Mercuries in every way;

And kindly points us to our journey's end."

so: Proverbs 26:1, Proverbs 19:10, Proverbs 30:22

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 24:17 - the princes of Judah

Cross-References

Genesis 26:18
And Isaac dug again the wells of water, which the servants of his father Abraam had dug, and the Phylistines had stopped them, after the death of his father Abraam; and he gave them names, according to the names by which his father named them.
Genesis 26:19
And the servants of Isaac dug in the valley of Gerara, and they found there a well of living water.
Judges 5:28
The mother of Sisara looked down through the window out of the loophole, saying, Why was his chariot ashamed? why did the wheels of his chariots tarry?
Proverbs 7:6
For she looks from a window out of her house into the streets, at one whom she may see of the senseless ones, a young man void of understanding,
Ecclesiastes 9:9
And see life with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which are given thee under the sun: for that is thy portion in thy life, and in thy labour wherein thou labourest under the sun.
Song of Solomon 2:9
My kinsman is like a roe or a young hart on the mountains of Baethel: behold, he is behind our wall, looking through the windows, peeping through the lattices.
Isaiah 62:5
And as a young man lives with a virgin, so shall thy sons dwell in thee: and it shall come to pass that as a bridegroom will rejoice over a bride, so will the Lord rejoice over thee.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

As he that bindeth a stone in a sling,.... That so fastens it to it that it cannot be slung out of it, it becomes useless and does not answer the end for which it is put there; or that places it there that it may be cast out, and is cast out, and so is thrown away, and of no more use; or that puts a precious stone, so some interpret it, in a heap of common stones, even in such a heap as is used at the stoning of malefactors; or increases the heap of stones on such, which the more exposes them, and the greater reproach they are loaded with; so the more a fool is praised, it does but bring to mind his folly, and issues in his greater disgrace, so Gussetius o: or rather it has respect to a precious stone put in such a heap of stones, as Luther; or else, according to Schultens, to such an one put into a heap of sepulchral stones; or, as Aben Ezra, that binds up a stone, a common stone, in purple, which to do is ridiculous, so R. Joseph Kimchi; the Vulgate Latin version renders it,

"as he that casts a stone to Mercury's heap;''

a Heathen deity, called by the eastern people Mertholin and Margenah p, which last is near the same with the Hebrew word here used; whose statue was set up where two or more ways met, to direct travellers; and who therefore out of respect to the deity, and to show gratitude to him, used to cast a stone to the heap for the support of it; and which stones, set up in such doubtful places, were dedicated to him, and were called after his name q; and not only travellers did this in honour of the deity, and to make his statue more manifest r, but also for profit, to clear the way from stones; and this custom obtained with the Indians, Arabs, Saracens, and now does with the Mahometans s: and such heaps of stones were also placed in cities, and at the doors of houses, in honour of Mercury, and were called from him Hermae t; these stones were also erected for borders of countries u. But it is not probable that this custom obtained in Solomon's time; and yet some Jewish writers interpret it to this sense, as if he that gives honour to a fool is like him that casts a stone to Mercury; and Jarchi in the text observes it as the sense of some of their Rabbins,

"that he that teacheth the law to a disciple that is not fit, is as he that casts a stone to Mercury;''

and to cast a stone to Mercury is with them the same as to commit idolatry w; but either of the former senses is best;

so [is] he that giveth honour to a fool; it is all thrown away and lost, as a stone out of a sling; or as unseemly as to put a precious stone among a heap of stones, or a common stone in purple;

:-.

o Ebr. Comment. p. 777. p D. Herbert de Chefbury d. Relig Gent. c. 7. p. 58. q Suidas in voce ερμαιον. r Phurnutus de Natura Deorum, p. 33. s Vid. D. Herbert de Cherbury, ut supra, p. 59. t Cornel. Nepot. Vit. Alcibiad. l. 7. c. 3. u Pausan. Corinth. sive, l. 2. p. 157. w Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 7. s. 6. & Maimon. in ib.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

i. e., “To give honor to the fool is like binding a stone in a sling; you cannot throw it.” In each case you misapply and so waste. Others render in the sense of the margin: To use a precious stone where a pebble would be sufficient, is not less foolish than to give honor to a fool.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 26:8. As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool. — It is entirely thrown away. This, however, is a difficult proverb; and the versions give but little light on the subject. The Hebrew may be translated, "As a piece of precious stone among a heap of stones, so is he that giveth honour to a fool." See the margin, and Parkhurst: but on this interpretation the meaning would rather be, "It is as useless to throw a jewel among a heap of stones to increase its bulk, as to give honour to a fool."

As he that sendith a stoon into a hepe of monee; so he that geveth to an unwiisman wirschip. - Old MS. Bible.

"He that setteth a foole in hye dignite, that is even as yf a man dyd caste a precious stone upon the galous." - Coverdale. This translator refers to the custom of throwing a stone to the heap under which a criminal lay buried. The Vulgate gives some countenance to this translation: "He who gives honour to a fool is like one who throws a stone to Mercury's heap." Mercury was considered the deity who presided over the highways; and stones were erected in different places to guide the traveller. Hence those lines of Dr. Young: -

"Death stands like Mercuries in every way;

And kindly points us to our journey's end."


 
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