This Video ACCIDENTALLY Shows Why Proverbs 26:4-5 is in the Bible

Added: 2026-05-17

[00:00:00]The Bible has more than 69 billion contradictions. Here's one. Proverbs 26 literally has a contradiction in [music] two back-to-back verses. Verse four says, "Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or else you yourself will become just like him." And then the very next verse says, [music] "Answer a fool according to his folly, or else he will be wise in his own eyes." So, should we answer a fool according to his folly or not? Because these verses present two dichotomies, we can rephrase it to say this: A fool will be wise in his own eyes, or you [music] yourself will be just like him. Mhm.

[00:00:44]>> But I prefer this version: A fool is someone who believes the Bible is divinely inspired, free from contradictions, or remotely insightful.

[00:00:55]This is a great example of trying hard not to understand what the Bible's teaching. Sure, you could assume that the author blatantly contradict himself in back-to-back verses. Or maybe, just maybe, these verses were intentionally placed together to communicate some deeper wisdom. For those who are interested, here's a much more charitable reading. I think the key to understanding this ancient wisdom is in the preposition that's translated according to. The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures, brings clarity to how these verses were understood. It says, "Do not answer a fool in accordance with his folly, lest you become like him. But answer a fool according to his folly, lest he appear to be wise to himself." Notice on this interpretation, these two verses are to be read together. Don't do this, verse four, but do this instead, verse five.

[00:01:52]Verse four describes how not to answer.

[00:01:55]Don't answer a fool using the same fool's tactics. Don't answer in accordance with his folly. Commenting on this passage, Old Testament scholar Bruce Waltke writes, "It is unfitting to meet the fool's insult with insult. In other words, when you answer like a fool, you become one." So, how should we answer a fool? That's where verse five comes in. But, answer a fool according to his folly. Waltke continues, "Rather without lowering himself to the fool's level in a debate, the wise must show the fool's folly for what it is. In other words, don't respond to foolishness with more foolishness.

[00:02:33]Instead, answer with wisdom in order to expose bad thinking and to reveal why the argument fails. Otherwise, the fool may appear wise in his own eyes." So, no. This isn't a contradiction. Instead, it's wisdom in how to respond to foolishness, including foolish videos like this one.