Proverbs 23:9 · Bible study
Proverbs 23:9 Commentary: When Not to Speak to a Fool
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Should we ever withhold wisdom? Explore Proverbs 23:9, its meaning, and the tension with Proverbs 26:4-5 on answering fools.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Do not waste wise words on someone determined to reject them.
- Key words: Kesil (dull, arrogant fool); buz (despise, hold in contempt); sechel (insight, prudence).
- Main debate: How to reconcile this verse with Proverbs 26:4-5 and the Christian call to witness.
- Theological theme: Discerning stewardship of wisdom and the character of the hearer.
- Best use: A caution against fruitless argument and a prompt to seek the right moment for truth.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Do not speak to a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Don’t speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
KJV King James Version 1769
Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Speak not in the hearing of a fool; For he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
In the ears of a fool speak not, For he treadeth on the wisdom of thy words.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Speak not in the ears of a foolish [man], for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Speak not in the ears of fools: because they will despise the instruction of thy speech.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
No hables á oídos del necio; porque menospreciará la prudencia de tus razones.
Não fales aos ouvidos do tolo, porque ele desprezará a prudência de tuas palavras.
Ne parle pas aux oreilles de l’ insensé,
Rede nicht vor des Narren Ohren; denn er verachtet die Klugheit deiner Rede.
Spreek niet voor het oor van een zot, want hij zou het verstand uwer woorden verachten.
Non rivolger la parola allo stolto, perché sprezzerà il senno de’ tuoi discorsi.
Przed głupim nie mów; albowiem wzgardzi roztropnością powieści twoich.
В уши глупого не говори, потому что он презрит разумные слова твои.
你不要 說話 給愚昧人 聽，因 他必藐視 你智慧 的言語。
Say nothing in the hearing of a foolish man, for he will put no value on the wisdom of your words.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Proverbs 23:9
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse offers practical discretion, not a call to abandon all witness. Barnes identifies the “fool” here as one “willfully and persistently deaf,” nearly identical with the scorner. Gill describes such a person as “abandoned to sin,” one who derides all admonition. Matthew Henry explains that a wise person is not only allowed but advised to hold his tongue when words will be despised. The warning parallels Jesus’ command not to cast pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6). What commentators share: the deciding factor is not the content but the hearer’s character. When a person treats wisdom with contempt, continued speech wastes energy and invites mockery. The sage does not stop being wise; he stops speaking where speech is despised.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Strict prohibition: The verse says 'speak not' without caveat; the fool's character is assumed to be fixed.
- Situational wisdom: Proverbs 26:4-5 presents both 'answer not' and 'answer' commands, showing the wise person judges the occasion.
- Character-based reading: Barnes and Gill distinguish the 'fool' from the merely ignorant; the prohibition applies only to those who are willfully deaf to wisdom.
What is clear: All agree that speaking to a person who despises wisdom is futile, and the speaker should not persist when wisdom is met with contempt.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Application of the prohibition | Christians agree that the verse warns against wasting wisdom on those who will only mock it. | Some traditions apply it strictly to personal rebuke only; others apply it to evangelism contexts, discerning when a hearer is hardened. |
| Relation to Proverbs 26:4-5 | Both verses come from the same wisdom book and must be held together. | Some argue 23:9 is the primary rule (silence) and 26:5 is the exception. Others see 26:4-5 as a pair teaching situational discernment rather than a rule with an exception. |
| Who qualifies as a fool | The fool is not merely ignorant but willfully resistant (Barnes, Gill). | Some traditions emphasize the 'scorner' as a specific category (one who actively mocks), while others see it as any persistent sinner. |
| Impact on personal evangelism | We are called to share wisdom, but not to force it where it is despised. | Evangelical traditions often stress that we must still sow the seed widely; others caution against repeated, fruitless confrontation. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Proverbs belongs to Israel’s wisdom tradition, a body of literature that teaches skill in living. The wise father or sage trains the young to discern situations. The word for fool here, kesil, carries connotations of dullness and self-satisfaction. Keil and Delitzsch describe it as “intellectually heavy and dull,” one whose heart is covered with grease against any impression of better knowledge. Such a person does not lack intelligence; he resists it.
In ancient Israel, public discourse carried social weight. Speaking in the ears of someone implied direct, intentional address (the phrase appears in legal and prophetic contexts). The wise were expected to speak truth, but also to guard the community’s moral fabric. Giving a fool a platform for ridicule profaned wisdom. The surrounding verses (Proverbs 23:6-8, 10-12) show a pattern: avoid the stingy, protect the vulnerable, pursue instruction. Verse 9 fits a broader call to use words wisely, not waste them.
This is not a blanket command to silence. It is a situational principle: discern when the listener’s heart is hardened. Jesus drew from this same tradition when he warned against throwing holy things to dogs (Matthew 7:6). The wisdom here is for the speaker’s own protection and the honor of the truth itself.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Proverbs 23:9. The verse is stable in the Masoretic Text and across ancient versions (LXX, Syriac, Targum). The only minor difference is the Hebrew construction with al (may not) plus the jussive verb, which all major translations render as a prohibition.
Reception History
This verse has been widely cited in Christian tradition to caution against arguing with hardened opponents. Matthew Henry (1710) applied it to profane scoffers and the duty to hold one's peace. Gill (1748) connected it to casting pearls before swine, a phrase that has shaped pastoral practice across denominations. Wesley (1754) summarized it as a warning against casting good counsel upon incorrigible sinners. In Catholic tradition, the verse is often read within the framework of prudence: one must not expose sacred truths to willful contempt. The broader reception shows a consistent emphasis on discernment rather than complete silence.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Know who you are addressing. The fool in Proverbs is not merely ignorant; he is willfully deaf. Discernment begins with reading the hearers heart.
- Know when your words are wasted. Even the wisdom of your words can be despised. Continued speech to a scorner invites contempt, not conversion.
- Know why silence can be holy. Withholding wisdom from a hard heart honors the truth. It also spares you from fruitless conflict.
Five-point outline
- The prohibition: do not speak in the ears of a fool (v.9a).
- The character of the fool: willfully deaf and quick to despise (Barnes, Matthew Henry).
- The consequence: your wisdom is rejected and mocked (v.9b).
- The connection to Jesus’ teaching: pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6).
- The balance: Proverbs 26:4-5 commands both not answering and answering a fool, wisdom discerns the right time.
Illustration hooks
- A teacher who spends a whole period trying to reason with a student who only wants to disrupt the class. The lesson is lost, and the teacher is exhausted.
- A social media debate where every carefully argued point is met with mockery. The thread becomes a spectacle, not a conversation.
- A family member who turns every spiritual conversation into a joke. You learn to love them without forcing the topic when they are not ready.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this verse mean we should never share the gospel with hard-hearted people?
- How do I tell the difference between a fool and someone who is just struggling with doubt?
- What about Jesus? He spoke to hard-hearted religious leaders. How does that fit with this prohibition?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits in a book of wisdom that teaches us to use words with care. The hard part is knowing when to speak and when to stay silent. Read the verse together, then ask yourselves: does this feel like a command or a piece of good advice? How does it relate to Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:6 about pearls and pigs? Let the group explore the tension.
Discussion questions
- What does the word “fool” mean in this context? How is it different from simply making a foolish mistake?
- Why does the verse specify “in the ears”? What does that suggest about the kind of speech involved?
- How would you describe “the wisdom of your words”? What makes speech wise?
- Read Proverbs 26:4-5. How do you hold those two verses together with Proverbs 23:9? Is there a principle that unites them?
- Think of a time you shared something wise with someone who only mocked it. How did you feel afterwards? Did that experience change how you handled it later?
- Jesus spoke to Pharisees who rejected him, yet also said “do not throw your pearls before pigs.” How do we follow his example of both love and discernment?
- When might it actually be loving to stay silent instead of offering correction? Share an example.
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Proverbs 1:7 | The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge, but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction. |
| Proverbs 9:7 | One who corrects a mocker invites insult. One who reproves a wicked man invites abuse. |
| Proverbs 9:8 | Don’t reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you. Reprove a wise person, and he will love you. |
| Proverbs 26:4 | Don’t answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him. |
| Proverbs 26:5 | Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes. |
| Isaiah 36:21 | But they remained silent, and said nothing in reply, for the king’s commandment was, “Don’t answer him.” |
| Matthew 7:6 | “Don’t give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. |
| Luke 16:14 | The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they scoffed at him. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes distinguishes the "fool" here as someone who is not merely unwise but willfully and persistently refuses to listen. This kind of fool is nearly the same as a scorner, someone who actively rejects correction rather than simply lacking understanding.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Geneva Bible Notes notes that speaking to a fool causes him to reject the wisdom in your words. This means his lack of understanding prevents him from valuing your teaching.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that speaking to a wicked person who mocks all advice is like throwing pearls before swine. He believes such a person will despise even the wisdom of God’s words.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes that giving valuable things to those who cannot appreciate them is like throwing pearls at swine. This means such gifts are wasted on people who will not respect or use them properly. Your trust in others remains safe when you keep your best things for those who deserve them.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch depicts the fool as intellectually dull and heavy, like a heart coated with grease that blocks every impression of better knowledge. Such a person has no capacity to receive wisdom, only contempt for it, so speaking good words to him is wasted.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that a fool does not merely reject wise words but scorns the very wisdom within them, treating it as an enemy. Such a person forfeits the benefit of good advice, and a wise person is not only allowed but advised to stay silent rather than waste precious words on one who will not listen.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley warns against wasting wise counsel on people who are too stubborn or hardened to accept it. His point is not that we should never advise sinners, but that we must discern when someone is incorrigible and our words will only be thrown away.