Note: The reason why I’m refuting this particular contradiction today is because a few days ago some troll said I was “lying” for not having an answer to this alleged Bible contradiction because I didn’t get back to him right away (and his second comment made me not wiling to respond). I personally think this is not the unanswerable alleged contradiction as the troll think it is! It is actually an incredibly low-grade example for an online troll to pick as a challenge for Christians to answer.
For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Should you answer a fool according to his folly?
Here are the answers which the skeptic believes indicate a Bible contradiction:
Yes.
“5 Answer a fool as his foolishness deserves, So that he will not be wise in his own eyes.” (Proverbs 26:5)
No.
“Do not answer a fool according to his foolishness, Or you will also be like him.” (Proverbs 26:4)
(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)
Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:
- When dealing with skeptics’ claim of Bible contradictions it seems one can never be reminded enough of what exactly is a contradiction. A contradiction occurs when two or more claims conflict with one another so that they cannot simultaneously be true in the same sense and at the same time. To put it another way, a Bible contradiction exists when there are claims within the Bible that are mutually exclusive in the same sense and at the same time.
- One should be skeptical of whether this is a Bible contradiction given the Skeptic Annotated Bible’s track record of inaccurately handling the Bible. See the many examples of their error which we have responded to in this post: Collection of Posts Responding to Bible Contradictions. Of course that does not take away the need to respond to this claim of a contradiction, which is what the remainder of this post will do. But this observation should caution us to slow down and look more closely at the passages cited by the Skeptic Annotated Bible to see if they interpreted the passages properly to support their conclusion that it is a Bible contradiction.
- The skeptic tries to pit Proverbs 26:5 as affirming the claim “You should answer a fool according to his folly” against Proverbs 26:4 as affirming “You should not answer a fool according to his folly.”
- The proximity of these two verses next to each other lead me to think its unlikely two contradictory statements after all it would be too obvious. Something deeper is going on.
- I don’t think Proverbs 26:5 conflict with Proverbs 26:4. The key I think is the Hebrew conjunction פֵן. It is translated as “lest.” I would translate that as “otherwise.” For an example see Genesis 11:4 this word is translated as “otherwise:” “And they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let’s make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of all the earth.”” The conjunction is thus functioning to indicate the reason why and why not one should do something. So when Proverbs 26:4 and Proverbs 26:5 tells us why we should and should not answer a fool the two verses don’t have to be mutually exclusive; there can be a right and wrong reason for why we answer a fool, just as there are right and wrong reason to get married but discussing those reason don’t mean its a contradiction; nor should it be implied that one shouldn’t get married!
- A further reason why we don’t see there’s a contradiction here is that the causal clause has two different referents. For Proverbs 26:4 after the Hebrew conjunction פֵן the clause then focus on the second person masculine singular which the author is addressing while in Proverbs 26:5 after the Hebrew conjunction פֵן the clause then focus on the third person masculine singular in reference to the fool. The different referent should alert us that there’s not a contradiction.
- To logically contradict with Proverbs 26:5’s assertion that the reason to answer the fool is so “he will not be wise in his own eyes” the claim in Proverbs 26:4 would have to be “don’t answer the fool even if he is wise in his own eyes” or “never answer the fool in any circumstances.” But Proverbs 26:4 doesn’t say that. It doesn’t even focus on the fool but instead it switches away from the third person singular pronoun to the second person singular pronoun referring to the person reading Proverbs 26.
- To logically contradict with Proverbs 26:4’s assertion that the reason not to answer the fool is so “you will also be like him” the claim in Proverbs 26:5 would have to be “answer the fool even if you will also be like him” or “always answer the fool no matter the circumstances.” But Proverbs 26:5 doesn’t say that. It doesn’t even focus on the reader but instead it switches away to the third person singular pronoun referring to fool.
- One way one can see Proverbs 26:4-5 can both be true can be seen in Presuppositional Apologetics methodology. The Christian apologist defending the faith must not be similar to unbelievers in their unbelieving presuppositions (starting point), and so in obeying Proverbs 26:4 the apologist doesn’t have the same presuppositions as the unbeliever. Yet that doesn’t mean the apologist stop here. He must also respond to the unbeliever lest the unbeliever think he’s wise in his own eyes in light of his own presuppositions and so in obeying Proverbs 26:5 the apologist answer the unbeliever using their own presuppositions and worldview and offer an internal critique to show how it is foolish, lest the unbeliever thinks he’s wise in rejecting Christianity.
- Alan Kearns in summarizing this said “It appears to me that these verses are opposite sides of the same coin, meaning that there is no Contradiction. A believer or unbeliever with an understanding of English grammar can see this clearly! It is about when/how to answer a fool or not to answer at all.”
- There is no contradiction here. Seems the skeptic needs to learn of How to Handle Bible Contradictions.
- We shouldn’t miss that worldviews are at play even with the skeptic’s objection to Christianity. The worldview of the author of the Skeptic Annotated Bible actually doesn’t even allow for such a thing as the law of non-contradiction to be meaningful and intelligible. In other words for him to try to disprove the Bible by pointing out that there’s a Bible contradiction doesn’t even make sense within his own worldview. Check out our post “Skeptic Annotated Bible Author’s Self-Defeating Worldview.”
[…] Should you answer a fool according to his folly? […]
To the troll, “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good” (Ps 14:1 ESV). Thank you for taking the time to refute this!
Good verse for the troll! I sometimes wonder if there is a Romans 1 thing going on when skeptics are made foolish in that when they attack it’s often not the complicated contradictions but it’s the ones that are lowest intelligence ones. As in if I was the skeptic I wouldn’t have picked this one to say “aNsW3r MuH c0nTrAd1cT1oNz nOW!!! tHiz da haRDezT oNE!” 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
Hopefully I’m not too mean; I do know it’s by God’s grace I’m saved and understand anything from the Word.
How is your day in P A? 🙂
That is FANTASTIC and not too mean!!!! It’s a bittersweet day. Last full day with my mom. I love her so much and will miss her as always! God is good and if I don’t see her again in this life I know she will be in Heaven!
It appears to me that these verses are opposite sides of the same coin, meaning that there is no Contradiction. A believer or unbeliever with an understanding of English grammar can see this clearly! It is about when/how to answer a fool or not to answer at all.
Agreed Alan!
God bless you brother in this coming 2022.
Good analogy of how they are actually two sides of the same coin, that’s a good one! I think you summarized what I was trying to say (but haven’t been able to say succinctly at 3-4 AM): ” It is about when/how to answer a fool or not to answer at all.” Can I get your permission to use this quote in an update to my post and give you proper credit and link to your blog?
That is very kind of you Jim, there is no need to ask my permission brother. Feel free to use any comments I make on your post. All credit belongs to our Father God.
[…] Bible Contradiction? Should you answer a fool according to his folly? — The Domain for Truth […]
I have noted this “contradiction” in my Bible reading, but you address it very well. Thanks for breaking it down. Yup, I have witnessed and also watched others witness in a way that did not bring glory to God. We became like the unbelieving fool in our ego-driven attempt to “win” an argument. I’ve also seen Christians “witness” when they were drunk, which is insane.
Your comment made me think of J Warner Wallace’s comment in a book I read this year. He’s the atheist police detective turn Christian apologist. He said as a detective he always wonder why some heinous criminal start preaching to him when they get arrested and suddenly they get all religious. It was an obstacle for years for him to come to the faith. So grateful God saved him. How does your Fay look in ROC? It’s an all day rainy day for me.
Thanks for the info re: J Warner Wallace. We have to walk the talk, God and others are observing.
Rainy in SoCal? I see we’re not much colder than you, 42F and gray. Can’t complain because only one snowblower day so far. I’m just piddlin’ around today, trying to stretch every hour before I go back to work Saturday. I could get used to retirement. How is your day going?
Sorry I don’t have the link, but a creation scientist Ph.D. broke these two verses down very well. Verse 4: Don’t accept the fool’s argument. Verse 5: Confront the fool with *truth*. Example – “How do you know it takes millions of years to form coal? Were you there millions of years ago to see it happen? Do you know we can make coal in the laboratory in less than a month? From the Bible we know the earth is but a few thousand years old, and there is plenty of scientific evidence to support it.” There was more, but that’s the essence.
Wow was it Dr Lisle? This guy in the video? https://veritasdomain.wordpress.com/2019/03/12/the-heavens-declare-the-glory-of-god-mens-conference-jason-lisle/
Yes, it was he. I’m glad you already know about him. 🙂
Excellent insight brother. It seems to me it is as Jesus said “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” Fools they are.
Blessings!
Good post bro.
Thank you for this, Jim! I saw right away that they were consecutive verses. I always read it as stipulating the wrong way and then right way to answer a fool. Hope you have a great New Year’s Eve!
Hope you have a great New Year’s Eve too! Any plans for tomorrow night???
We did but sadly they fell through. Most of the family are fighting colds. Still looking forward to the new year, though.
I am surprised that the skeptic did not question the order of the verses. Maybe he thought that 5 should have preceded 4.
Its crazy that didn’t slow down the skeptic to think something deeper is going on! Any plans for New Years eve brother Mark?
Reblogged this on clydeherrin.
Fine refute as usual.
So grateful for your encouragement Maw Maw! Hope you have a blessed New Year’s Eve!!!
I did. Happy New today for you and Family.
[…] 8.) Bible Contradiction? Should you answer a fool according to his folly? […]
Answering contradictions also show how this passage isn’t a contradiction. You are answering the fool in a way to show they are not wise, since they are wrong. But you aren’t foolish to say its a contradiction but it doesn’t matter (like some Christians)
Deuteronomy 11 and Deuteronomy 4 according to Torah you will nit add abd take away, other believe systems and books are nit supposed to exist.. please check ny videos if you like….
“The proximity of these two verses next to each other lead me to think it’s unlikely two contradictory statements after all it would be too obvious. Something deeper is going on.” Good point.
It does seem baffling at first that Solomon would put these together unless there’s a reasonable connection.
Being the more simpleminded reader, I had jotted in the margin of my Bible, “With a fool you can’t win.”
I like your explanation better. There’s definitely a time to engage in dialogue (when the person is open to another perspective) and a time to move on and not get entangled in something counterproductive that will just waste time and frustrate you. (Not “casting your pearls before swine.”)
You have a good point here Ann; we don’t give pearls to swine and that’s one example of how there’s exceptions to answering someone’s question, even though normally we as Christians do want to answer questions. Good point, this comment is much needed for you on here and I wish those who read this post looking for answers also find your comment here helpful; how is your New Year going so far sister?
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