Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Proverbs 26:16

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Proverbs 26:16. Than seven men that can render a reason. — Seven here only means perfection, abundance, or multitude. He is wiser in his own eyes than a multitude of the wisest men. "Than seven men that sytt and teach." - Coverdale; i.e., than seven doctors of the law, or heads of the schools of the prophets, who always sat while they taught.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Fools and troublemakers (26:1-28)

Only a fool honours a fool, and only a fool curses another without cause. Such a curse cannot come true (26:1-2). People with wisdom know on which occasions to ignore a fool and on which occasions to answer him (3-5). Fools cannot be trusted. For them, proverbs are as useless as paralysed legs, and honour is as useless as a stone tied to the sling that is supposed to throw it out (6-8). Fools with a little knowledge can be dangerous. As employees, they can create trouble for their fellow workers. But a conceited person is worse than a fool (9-12).
Always making excuses, too lazy to get out of bed or help themselves, lazy people nevertheless think they know everything (13-16). All communities have their troublemakers: busybodies (17); double-talkers who, when they see the damage they have done, say they were only joking (18-19); gossips, without whom many quarrels would have ended long ago (20-22); and smooth talkers whose pleasant words hide their evil intentions (23-26). Having ruined others, the troublemakers finally ruin themselves (27-28).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

MORE PROVERBS REGARDING SLUGGARDS

“The sluggard saith there is a lion in the way; A lion is in the streets. As the door turneth upon its hinges, So does the sluggard upon his bed. The sluggard burieth his hand in the dish; It wearieth him to bring it again to his mouth. The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit Than seven men that can render a reason.”

“A lion is in the streets” See our comment under Proverbs 22:13.

“As the door turneth upon its hinges” “Just as the door moves on its hinges, but does not go anywhere, the sluggard turns over and over in his bed but does not get out of it and go anywhere to do any work.”The Pulpit Commentary, op. cit., p. 501. See the comments under Proverbs 6:9-10, and under Proverbs 24:33.

Proverbs 26:15 is practically identical with Proverbs 19:24. See the comments there.

The meaning of Proverbs 26:16 is that, “The idle fool sets more value upon his own opinion than that of any number of wise men.”Ibid.

We have already had many proverbs about the slothful or sluggards. See comments under: “Proverbs 6:6-11; Proverbs 10:26; Proverbs 11:16; Proverbs 14:4; Proverbs 15:19; Proverbs 18:9; Proverbs 19:15; Proverbs 24:30-34; Proverbs 31:27.”Broadman Bible Commentary (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1971), Vol. 5, p. 83. We are indebted to Tate for this list.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Seven - The definite number used for the indefinite (compare Proverbs 24:16).

Reason - Better, a right judgment.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Shall we turn now to Proverbs 26:1-28 to begin our study this evening.

The first twelve verses of Proverbs 26:1-28 we trust doesn't apply to any of you tonight, because it's sort of addressed towards fools.

As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honor is not seemly for a fool ( Proverbs 26:1 ).

The thing about snow in summer and rain in harvest is that they are just out of place. So honor is out of place for a fool. So it's just something that is out of place.

As the bird by wandering, and as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come ( Proverbs 26:2 ).

The swallow's flight seems to be quite erratic. The word translated bird is the word for sparrow, and the idea is that if a person tries to curse you without a cause, don't worry about it. It's not going to be fulfilled or come to pass anyhow. A lot of people are worried because someone's threatened to put a curse on them or this kind of thing. You don't have to worry about that. A curse causeless will not come. Now that doesn't say anything about if you deserve one. But a curse causeless shall not come.

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back ( Proverbs 26:3 ).

So he didn't have much regard for the fool.

The next two seem to be inconsistent.

Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him ( Proverbs 26:4 ).

In other words, don't really engage in an argument with a fool. It's a waste of time. There are some people you just should never argue with. So don't answer the fool according to his folly. They make some fool remark and if you make some fool remark back, you're answering the fool according to his folly and he begins to classify you in his category.

The next one, as I say, it seems to be saying the opposite thing, but in reality it doesn't.

Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit ( Proverbs 26:5 ).

In other words, if you answer a fool, answer him according to the folly that he has declared, putting down the statement that he has made. Lest he thinks, "Oh, I'm very wise," and he's wise in his own conceit. So if you answer the fool, answer him according to the folly that he has declared. In other words, correcting the folly that he has declared, lest he think himself wise.

He that sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off the feet, and drinks damage ( Proverbs 26:6 ).

In other words, you're just... what value is it?

The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools. As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that gives honor to the fool ( Proverbs 26:7-8 ).

Now, it would be stupid to bind the stone in a sling. You know, you put your stone in there and then if you wrap it all up and tie the stone in there. You could swing that thing forever and the stone's not going to let go. So it would be a very ridiculous thing to do is to bind the stone in your sling. But it is also ridiculous to give honor to a fool.

As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is the parable in the mouth of fools ( Proverbs 26:9 ).

Now it is thought that this, "As a thorn goeth up in the hand of the drunkard" doesn't mean that a drunkard is pierced by a thorn and doesn't realize it, but a drunkard with a thorn or something in his hand could be a very dangerous person, because he's not really responsible for his actions. He's got a thorn in his hand. It makes him a dangerous person. So that a parable in the mouth of a fool can be a very dangerous thing.

The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors ( Proverbs 26:10 ).

In other words, they will get their just dues in time.

As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool returns to his folly ( Proverbs 26:11 ).

Peter seems to make reference to this particular verse in Job 2:22 .

Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? ( Proverbs 26:12 )

Now we said all these things about fools. But there's only one who's worse off than a fool: a man who is wise in his own conceit. "See thou a man who is wise in his own conceit?"

there is more hope for a fool than of him ( Proverbs 26:12 ).

So you think that maybe these first eleven verses were sort of the buildup for verse Proverbs 26:12 . In other words, by the time you get to verse Proverbs 26:11 and all of the things for which a fool is of no value and all, then you get to the verse Proverbs 26:12 and there's one thing worse and that's a man wise in his own conceit.

Now he turns from the fool to the slothful man. And as you have noticed through the Proverbs, we've had a lot to say about fools, a lot to say about the slothful, the lazy person.

The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets ( Proverbs 26:13 ).

We had one similar to that in our considerations last week. In other words, any excuse to keep from going to work. "Oh, there's a lion out there. He might eat me if I try to go to work today."

I think that the next one is a very picturesque, very picturesque.

As the door turns upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed ( Proverbs 26:14 ).

Rolling over and taking a few more. And this is the height of laziness. I mean, you can't get any...when you get this bad, you're soon gone.

The slothful hides his hand in his bosom; it grieves him to bring it again to his mouth ( Proverbs 26:15 ).

Man, you're so lazy you can't even get your hand to your mouth anymore; you've about had it. Your laziness has about done you in.

The sixteenth verse:

The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men who can give you a reason ( Proverbs 26:16 ).

In other words, how blind is a person wise in his own conceit. He thinks himself actually wiser than seven men who can render a reason.

Verse Proverbs 26:17 :

He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife that he has no business in, is like one who will take a dog by the ears ( Proverbs 26:17 ).

I mean, you're going to get into trouble.

As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death, so is the man that deceives his neighbor, and says, Hey, aren't I a sport? ( Proverbs 26:18-19 )

As a madman who just shoots fire darts, arrows, and death, he's like a man deceives his neighbor and then says, "Hey, what a sport."

Where no wood is, the fire goes out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceases ( Proverbs 26:20 ).

Proverbs has a lot to say against bearing tales.

As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife ( Proverbs 26:21 ).

Now, if you want to light coals, one of the best ways to light coals is to set it beside the burning coals. Coals are sort of hard to ignite unless you set them by burning coals. If you add wood to a fire that is going, it is easily kindled. And this is the idea. "As coals to burning coals, wood to fire; so is a contentious man." He just adds to the strife. He kindles the strife.

The words of a talebearer are as wounds, they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross ( Proverbs 26:22-23 ).

Now the silver dross was a leaden substance that they would put over their claypots to give them a glaze, a shininess. And it looks better than it really is. It looks like it's really valuable, but it's nothing but a claypot that is covered with this lead oxide or lead silver dross. It's a leaden kind of a material. So burning lips, a wicked heart.

He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and lays up deceit within him; When he speaks fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart. Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be showed before the whole congregation ( Proverbs 26:24-26 ).

So the dissembler. The hater who with his lips dissembles. Lays up deceit.

Whoso digs a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolls a stone, it will return upon him ( Proverbs 26:27 ).

Your sins will come back to you. Be sure your sins will find you out.

A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin ( Proverbs 26:28 ).

How many people have been ruined by the flattering mouth.

"

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

2. Fools and folly ch. 26

The analogies in chapter 25 dealt with both wise and foolish conduct, but those in chapter 26 deal mainly with fools and folly.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

The sluggard [is] wiser in his own conceit,.... It is a sort of a solecism, a kind of a contradiction in terms for a sluggard to be wise, who is so slothful as to make no use of the means of getting wisdom and knowledge. And it must be a mere conceit in him that he is wise, and especially that he is wiser

than seven men that can render a reason; not alluding to the number of a king's counsellors, who return him an answer to what he inquires of them, as Aben Ezra thinks; such as were the "seven" princes of the king of Persia, Esther 1:14. Since to have such an exact number might not obtain in Solomon's time, either in Persia, or in his own court, or elsewhere: but it signifies a large number, many wise men, as Gersom observes, that render a reason to everyone that asks it of them; who, having been diligent and industrious, have got such a competency of knowledge, that they are able to give a proper reason of what they say, believe, or do: and such are they, who, by the blessing of grace in the use of means, are wise in a spiritual sense; know themselves, and Christ Jesus, and the way of salvation by him; have an understanding of the Scriptures, and of the doctrines of the Gospel; have their spiritual senses exercised, to discern between truth and error; are of established judgments, and capable of teaching others good judgment and knowledge; and of giving a reason of their faith, hope, and practice; see 1 Peter 3:15. Now such is the conceit of an ignorant sluggard, that he is wiser than ten thousand or ever so many of these; he thinks himself the wisest man, inasmuch as he enjoys ease and quiet in his stupid sottish way, while they are toiling and labouring, and taking a great deal of pains to get knowledge; and that he sleeps in a whole skin, and escapes the censure and reproaches of men, which they endure for being precise in religious duties, and constant in the performance of them; and fancies he can get to heaven in an easier way, without all this care and toil and trouble, only by saying, Lord, have mercy on me, at last.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      16 The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.

      Observe, 1. The high opinion which the sluggard has of himself, notwithstanding the gross absurdity and folly of his slothfulness: He thinks himself wiser than seven men, than seven wise men, for they are such as can render a reason. It is the wisdom of a man to be able to render a reason, of a good man to be able to give a reason of the hope that is in him,1 Peter 3:15. What we do we should be able to render a reason for, though perhaps we may not have wit enough to show the fallacy of every objection against it. He that takes pains in religion can render a good reason for it; he knows that he is working for a good Master and that his labour shall not be in vain. But the sluggard thinks himself wiser than seven such; for let seven such persuade him to be diligent, with all the reasons they can render for it, it is to no purpose; his own determination, he thinks, answer enough to them and all their reasons. 2. The reference that this has to his slothfulness. It is the sluggard, above all men, that is thus self-conceited; for, (1.) His good opinion of himself is the cause of his slothfulness; he will not take pains to get wisdom because he thinks he is wise enough already. A conceit of the sufficiency of our attainments is a great enemy to our improvement. (2.) His slothfulness is the cause of his good opinion of himself. If he would but take pains to examine himself, and compare himself with the laws of wisdom, he would have other thoughts of himself. Indulged slothfulness is at the bottom of prevailing self-conceitedness. Nay, (3.) So wretchedly besotted is he that he takes his slothfulness to be his wisdom; he thinks it is his wisdom to make much of himself, and take all the ease he can get, and do no more in religion than he needs must, to avoid suffering, to sit still and see what other people do, that he may have the pleasure of finding fault with them. Of such sluggards, who are proud of that which is their shame, their is little hope, Proverbs 26:12; Proverbs 26:12.