Folly

Folly - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

FOL'LY, n. [See Fool.]

1. Weakness of intellect; imbecility of mind. want of understanding.

A fool layeth open his folly. Prov 13.

2. A weak or absurd act not highly criminal; an act which is inconsistent with the dictates of reason, or with the ordinary rules of prudence. In this sense it may be used in the singular, but is generally in the plural. Hence we speak of the follies of youth.

3. An absurd act which is highly sinful; any conduct contrary to the laws of God or man; sin; scandalous crimes; that which violates moral precepts and dishonors the offender. Shechem wrought folly in Israel. Achan wrought folly in Israel. Gen 34. Josh 7.

4. Criminal weakness; depravity of mind.

Fool - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

FOOL, n. [Heb.]

1. One who is destitute of reason, or the common powers of understanding; an idiot. Some persons are born fools, and are called natural fools; others may become fools by some injury done to the brain.

2. In common language, a person who is somewhat deficient in intellect, but not an idiot; or a person who acts absurdly; one who does not exercise his reason; one who pursues a course contrary to the dictates of wisdom.

Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other.

3. In scripture, fool is often used for a wicked or depraved person; one who acts contrary to sound wisdom in his moral deportment; one who follows his own inclinations, who prefers trifling and temporary pleasures to the service of God and eternal happiness.

The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God. Psa 14.

4. A weak christian; a godly person who has much remaining sin and unbelief.

O fools, and slow of heart to believe all the prophets have written. Luke 24.

Also, one who is accounted or called a food by ungodly men. 1 Cor 4:10.

5. A term of indignity and reproach.

To be thought knowing, you must first put the fool upon all mankind.

6. One who counterfeits folly; a buffoon; as a king's fool.

I scorn, although their drudge, to be their fool or jester.

1. To play the fool, to act the buffoon; to jest; to make sport.

2. To act like one void of understanding.

To put the fool on, to impose on; to delude.

To make a fool of, to frustrate; to defeat; to disappoint.

FOOL, v.i. To trifle; to toy; to spend time in idleness, sport or mirth.

Is this a time for fooling?

FOOL, v.t.

1. To treat with contempt; to disappoint; to defeat; to frustrate; to deceive; to impose on.

When I consider life, 'tis all a cheat; for fooled with hope, men favor the deceit.

2. To infatuate; to make foolish.

3. To cheat; as, to fool one out of his money.

1. To fool away, to spend in trifles, idleness, folly, or without advantage; as, to fool away time.

2. To spend for things of no value or use; to expend improvidently; as, to fool away money.

FOOL, n. A liquid made of gooseberries scalded and pounded, with cream.

Foolish - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

FOOL'ISH, a.

1. Void of understanding or sound judgment; weak in intellect; applied to general character.

2. Unwise; imprudent; acting without judgment or discretion in particular things.

3. Proceeding from folly, or marked with folly; silly; vain; trifling.

But foolish questions avoid. 2 Tim 2.

4. Ridiculous; despicable.

A foolish figure he must make.

5. In scripture, wicked; sinful; acting without regard to the divine law and glory, or to one's own eternal happiness.

O foolish Galatians - Gal 3.

6. Proceeding from depravity; sinful; as foolish lusts. 1 Tim 6.

fol'-i.

See FOOL.

fool nabhal, 'ewil, kecil, cakhal and forms; aphron, aphrosune, moros):

I. In the Old Testament.

1. General:

Taking the words generally, apart from the Wisdom literature, we find nabhal frequently translated "fool" and nebhalah, "folly"; nabhal, however, denotes a wicked person, an evil character, "shamelessly immoral," equivalent to "a son of Belial" (Cheyne), rather than a merely "foolish" person, and nebhalah, "wickedness," "shameless impropriety," rather than simple folly. We have almost a definition of nabhal in Isa 32:6: "For the fool will speak folly, and his heart will work iniquity, to practice profaneness, and to utter error against Yahweh, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail." Abigail described her husband, Nabhal, as "a son of Belial" (the Revised Version (British and American) "worthless fellow"), "for as his name is, so is he" (1Sa 25:25), and what we read of him bears out this character. Other occurrences of the words support the above meaning; they are generally associated with some form of wickedness, frequently with base and unnatural lewdness (Ge 34:7; De 22:21; Jos 7:15; Jud 19:23,14; 20:6,10; 2Sa 13:12). When in Ps 14:1; 53:1 it is said, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God," it is followed by the statement, "They are corrupt, they have done abominable works," showing that more than "folly" is implied. In Isa 32:5,6 the King James Version nabhal is translated "vile person" and nebhalah "villany," the Revised Version (British and American) "fool" and "folly," Jer 29:23; halal, implying loud boasting is in the King James Version translated "foolish," but it means, rather, "arrogant," which the Revised Version (British and American) adopts (Ps 5:5; 73:3; 75:4, margin "fools"); cakhal, "a fool," also occurs (Ge 31:28; 1Sa 13:13, etc.) for which word see (4) below; also ya'al "to be empty," "to be or become foolish" (Nu 12:11; Isa 19:13; Jer 5:4; 50:36).

2. The Wisdom Literature:

In the Chokhmah or Wisdom literature, which, within the Bible, is contained in Job, Proverbs (especially), Ecclesiastes, Canticles, some Psalms and certain portions of the prophetic writings, "fool" and "folly" are frequent and distinctive words. Their significance is best seen in contrast with "Wisdom." This was the outcome of careful observation and long pondering on actual life in the light of religion and the Divine revelation. Wisdom had its seat in God and was imparted to those who "feared" Him ("The fear of Yahweh is the beginning (chief part) of knowledge" Pr 1:7). Such wisdom was the essence of life, and to be without it was to walk in the way of death and destruction. The fool was he who was thoughtless, careless, conceited, self-sufficient, indifferent to God and His Will, or who might even oppose and scoff at religion and wise instruction. See WISDOM. Various words are used to designate "the fool" and his "folly."

(1) nabhal (Job 2:10; 30:8; Ps 53:1; Pr 17:7-21); nebhalah (Job 42:8; Isa 9:17) (see above).

(2) 'ewil, one of the commonest, the idea conveyed by which is that of one who is hasty, impatient, self-sufficient (Pr 12:15; 15:5; 16:22); despising advice and instruction (Pr 1:7; 14:9; 24:7); ready to speak and act without thinking (Pr 10:14; 12:16; 20:3); quick to get angry, quarrel and cause strife (Pr 11:29; 14:17 'iwweleth; 29:9); unrestrained in his anger (Job 5:2; Pr 17:12); silly, stupid even with brute stupidity (Pr 7:22; 26:11; 27:22; compare Isa 19:11; Jer 4:22); he is associated with "transgression" (Ps 107:17; Pr 13:15; 17:18,19), with "sin" (Pr 24:9), with the "scoffer" (same place) ; 'iwweleth, "foolishness" occurs (Ps 38:5; 69:5; Pr 13:16; "folly," Ps 14:8,24,29, etc.).

(3) kecil is the word most frequent in Proverbs. It is probably from a root meaning "thickness," "sluggishness," suggesting a slow, self-confident person, but it is used with a wide reference.

Self-confidence appears (Pr 14:16; 28:26); ignorance (Ec 2:14); hate of instruction (Pr 1:22; 18:2); thoughtlessness (Pr 10:23; 17:24); self-exposure (Pr 14:33; 15:2; 18:7; 29:11; Ec 5:1; 10:12); anger and contention (Pr 18:6; 19:1; Ec 7:9); rage (Pr 14:16; 17:12); indolence and improvidence (Ec 4:5; Pr 21:20); silly merriment (Ec 7:4,5,6); brutishness (Pr 26:11; compare Ps 49:10; 92:6); it is associated with slander (Pr 10:18), with evil (Pr 13:19).

(4) cakhal, cekhel, cikhluth, also occur. These are probably from a root meaning "to be stopped up" (Cheyne), and are generally taken as denoting thickheadedness; but they are used in a stronger sense than mere foolishness (compare 1Sa 26:21; 2Sa 24:10, etc.). These words do not occur in Prov, but in Ec 2:12; 7:25; cikhluth is associated with "madness" ("Wickedness is folly, and .... foolishness is madness").

(5) pethi, "simple," is only once translated "foolish" (Pr 9:6 the King James Version).

(6) ba`ar, 'brutish," is translated "foolish" (Ps 73:22 the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American) "brutish").

(7) taphel, "insipid," "untempered," is translated "foolish" (La 2:14); tiphlah, "insipidity" (Job 1:22, "foolishly," the English Revised Version, "with foolishness"; Job 24:12, "folly"; Jer 23:13, "folly," the King James Version margin "unsavoury, or, an absurd thing").

(8) toholah (Job 4:18: "Behold, he putteth no trust in his servants; and his angels he chargeth with folly" (Delitzsch, "imperfection," others, "error"), the King James Version margin "nor in his angels in whom he put light").

II. In the Apocrypha.

In the continuation of the Wisdom literature in The Wisdom of Solomon and Ecclus, "fool" frequently occurs with a signification similar to that in Proverbs; in The Wisdom of Solomon we have aphron (12:24; 15:5, etc.), in Ecclesiasticus, moros (18:18; 19:11, etc.; 20:13; 21:16, etc.).

III. In the New Testament.

In the New Testament we have various words translated "fool," "foolish," "folly," etc., in the ordinary acceptation of these terms; aphron, "mindless," "witless" (Lu 11:40; 12:20; 1Co 15:36); aphrosune, "want of mind or wisdom" (2Co 11:1; Mr 7:22); anoia, "want of understanding" (2Ti 3:9); moraino, "to make dull," "foolish" (Ro 1:22; 1Co 1:20); moros, "dull," "stupid" (Mt 7:26; 23:17; 25:2; 1Co 1:25,27); moria, "foolishness" (1Co 1:18 etc.); morologia, "foolish talk" (Eph 5:4).

In Mt 5:22 our Lord says: "Whosoever shall say (to his brother), Thou fool (more), shall be in danger of the hell of fire (the Gehenna of fire)." Two explanations of this word are possible:

(1) that it is not the vocative of the Greek moros--a word which was applied by Jesus Himself to the Pharisees (Mt 23:17,19), but represents the Hebrew morah, "rebel" applied in Nu 20:10 by Moses to the people, "ye rebels" (for which he was believed to be excluded from the promised land; compare Nu 20:12; hence, we have in the Revised Version, margin "or moreh, a Hebrew expression of condemnation"); or

(2) that, as our Lord spake in the Aramaic it is the Greek translation of a word representing the Hebrew nabhal, "vile, or worthless fellow," atheist, etc. (Ps 14:1; 53:1).

W. L. Walker

Definition

The term “fool” refers to a person who often makes wrong choices, especially choosing to disobey. The term “foolish” describes a person or behavior that is not wise.

• In the Bible, the term “fool” usually refers to a person who does not believe or obey God. This is often contrasted to the wise person, who trusts in God and obeys God.
• In the Psalms, David describes a fool as a person who does not believe in God, one who ignores all the evidence of God in his creation.
• The Old Testament book of Proverbs also gives many descriptions of what a fool, or foolish person, is like.
• The term “folly” refers to an action that is not wise because it is against God’s will. Often “folly” also includes the meaning of something that is ridiculous or dangerous.

Translation Suggestions

• The term “fool” could be translated as “foolish person” or “unwise person” or “senseless person” or “ungodly person.”
• Ways to translate “foolish” could include “lacking understanding” or “unwise” or “senseless.”

(See also: wise)

Bible References

• Ecclesiastes 1:17
• Ephesians 5:15
• Galatians 3:3
• Genesis 31:28
• Matthew 7:26
• Matthew 25:8
• Proverbs 13:16
• Psalms 49:13

Word Data

• Strong’s: H0191, H0196, H0200, H1198, H1984, H2973, H3684, H3687, H3688, H3689, H3690, H5014, H5034, H5036, H5039, H5528, H5529, H5530, H5531, H6612, H8417, H8602, H8604, G04530, G04540, G07810, G08010, G08770, G08780, G27570, G31500, G31540, G34710, G34720, G34730, G34740, G39120