Audio Download

Proverbs 26 “To know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge”

Part 3  (Pro 26:6-12)

[Study Aired February 26, 2026]

Pro 26:6  He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage.
Pro 26:7  The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
Pro 26:8  As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool.
Pro 26:9  As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
Pro 26:10  The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.
Pro 26:11  As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.
Pro 26:12  Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

Did you notice every verse in our study has the word fool in it, seven times mentioned. Flesh has to see itself for what it is, corruptible foolish flesh that thinks it sees when in reality we are blind without Christ opening our eyes and giving us eyes to see and ears to hear (Joh 9:41, 1Co 3:18, Mat 13:16).

The word fool is mentioned 41 times in the proverbs and 69 times in the entire bible. Fools, with the s, is mentioned 19 times in the proverbs and 42 times in the entire bible. Foolish is meFntioned 13 times in proverbs, and 52 times in the entire bible.

The book of Proverbs corners the market on the subject of a fool, fools, or foolish with a total of 73 entries of those three words as opposed to 90 entries of those three words in the rest of the books of the bible.

The first mention of the word fool is in (1Sa 26:21) where Saul who typifies our flesh is brought to see how he, we, have “erred exceedingly” (Rom 2:4, 1Sa 26:21). David who is a type of Christ brings Saul to see that he is powerless, taking away his sword, and the cruse of water, that belong to him, two symbols of the word of God (Isa 3:1,  results in this Isa 4:1). David does not want to destroy Saul, just as Christ does not want to destroy His anointed, but rather show them that they are powerless, wretched, miserable, poor and blind without Him in their lives (Rev 3:17). This story with the first use of the word fool in it was written for our sakes (1Co 10:11), and unfolded as it did to show us how God is dealing with our own foolish flesh by the sharp two edged sword of God’s word, and the water of the word by which we are washed. It is after we confess our faults that a blessing is pronounced upon us as was the case with Saul who after this encounter with David blessed him and declared that David would prevail, another way of saying our wretchedness will be overcome by Christ in our lives, and we will be more than conquers through him (Rom 7:24-25).

Before we start this section of proverbs, let’s look at some of the verses that lead up to the first use of the word fool in the bible:

1Sa 26:8  Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.
1Sa 26:9  And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD’S anointed, and be guiltless?

David’s mercy and grace is contrasted with Abishai who represents the spirit of Moses, the old covenant eye for and eye and tooth for a tooth approach discussed in (Mat 5:37-41). Going on…

1Sa 26:10  David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish. [Rom 14:4, Rom 12:19]
1Sa 26:11  The LORD forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the LORD’S anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go.
1Sa 26:12  So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s bolster (Isa 3:1, Isa 4:1); and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them.[the deep sleep is symbolic of the whole world being deceived at this time by Satan (2Co 4:4, Rev 12:9)]
1Sa 26:13  Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them: [The great gulf between our flesh and Christ being symbolized by these actions of David on the other side (Luk 16:26)]

Luk 16:26  And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

1Sa 26:15  And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.
1Sa 26:16  This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the LORD’S anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.
1Sa 26:17  And Saul knew David’s voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.

Saul recognizing the voice of David typifies him hearing the voice of the true shepherd Jesus Christ (Joh 10:27-28). There are those who have been in our midst typified by Saul who “have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come”, only then to fall away as God’s rejected anointed (Heb 6:4-6). In the final analysis, we are being shown Saul will hear the voice of Christ typified by David in the lake of fire, and will know that God worked everything according to the counsel of His own will, taking away the king’s spear and the cruse of water, as He has done with the whole world (Eph 1:11, Isa 3:1, Isa 4:1).

David called Saul God’s anointed, and did not assume that he would be rejected, which is the lesson for each of us to receive each other as Christ, and let God sort out the details of each life in His time as David went on to say in the last part of this chapter (1Sa 26:18-25). A fool as we are seeing is someone who is operating in their flesh as Saul was, and it takes Christ typified by David to bring us to understand  that God is working all things according to the counsel of His own will (Eph 1:11). Saul repented of his wanting to destroy David at this point, and that was what mattered, and David acknowledged by His words and actions that he understood that Saul’s life was a work of the Lord for his sake.

1Sa 26:18  And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?(Gal 5:17) [This question typifies Christ convicting us of our sins, which lie at the door of our heart and want to rule over us but will not if Christ is our stronghold in this life (Rom 2:4-6, Gen 4:7, Rom 8:37)]

Rom 2:6  Who will render to every man according to his deeds: “1Sa 26:10  David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.”

1Sa 26:19  Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, Go, serve other gods.
1Sa 26:20  Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the LORD: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.

David typifies God’s elect [the few small hidden like a flea or partridge that Saul seeks out, like Saul of Tarsus also sought out in the new covenant (Act 9:1-2)] who are accepted in the beloved (Eph 1:5-6), “let him accept an offering” and love our enemies, and heap coals on their heads as he was doing with Saul in this instance (Rom 12:19-21).

Rom 12:19  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

1Sa 26:21  Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes [you loved your enemy (Mat 5:45-45)] this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.
1Sa 26:22  And David answered and said, Behold the king’s spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it.
1Sa 26:23  The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the LORD delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD’S anointed.
1Sa 26:24  And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation. [because we love our enemies, God comforts us through all our tribulations in this life 2Co 1:2-4]
1Sa 26:25  Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great things, and also shalt still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

[David going on his way symbolizes our continuing in the Lord, and Saul returning to his place symbolizes our flesh that we continue to need to overcome the rest of our lives]

Christ’s love toward His bride transcends knowledge, and is filled with mercy and will make us more than conquerors through Him (Psa 20:1-9). David as a type of the elect was given power over the enemy, his flesh, represented by king Saul (Rom 8:37).

Pro 26:6  He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage.

In the story we just looked at it is David who was sent not as a fool but as a wise man, typifying Christ who brings warning to our flesh, typified by Saul. When we lean unto our own understanding and are not led of the holy spirit (Rom 8:14-16) we cut off our feet, and drink damage, meaning the words we speak do not nourish because they come from our own broken cistern (Jer 2:13), our own carnal reasoning and not from the well spring of life Jesus Christ our hope of glory within who represents the positive cistern from where living waters can flow (Joh 4:14, Pro 5:15, Rev 7:17, Joh 7:38)

Jer 2:13  For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

Joh 7:37  In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.[Php 4:6-7]
Joh 7:38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Pro 26:7  The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

The legs not being equal represents our walk our way of life. So even if the words are correct in our mouth if they are not being spoken in love God says that those words are coming from one whose legs are lame, not equal, nullifying the parable that is coming from the mouth of a fool. Why do you call me Lord Lord and don’t do the things that I say is having unequal legs (Luk 6:46). The unequal leg represents those times of hypocrisy in our flesh that God is able to burn out of us through His chastening grace (Rom 2:21-24).

Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Pro 26:8  As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool.

A sling was used as a weapon in the ancient world and if the stone was not bound when it was launched it would be an effective weapon, a metaphor for us today of using the word of God rightly in order to slay Goliath in our heavens (1Sa 17:48-51). Killing Goliath twice is a witness that this battle against our inward giants can only be accomplished through the true witness Jesus Christ within us (Rev 3:14, 1Sa 17:47).

1Sa 17:47  And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.
1Sa 17:48  And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
1Sa 17:49  And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
1Sa 17:50  So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
1Sa 17:51  Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

Rev 3:14  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

If the stone is bound in a sling it won’t launch, and it may backfire and injure the person using the weapon, another metaphor telling us that if we are unskilled in using the word, we are as a babe (Heb 5:13), unskillful not having had our senses exercised yet to discern good and evil (Heb 5:14). God permitting we will grow unto maturity by the increase that He alone can give (Heb 6:1-3, 1Co 3:6).

Heb 5:14  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Heb 6:3  And this will we do, if God permit.

Giving honour to a fool can be likened unto laying hands on a novice who is yet a babe and not skillful in the word. Doing this can backfire like the bound stone in the sling and injure the body of Christ, or just simply stunt the growth of the church (1Ti 5:22).

1Ti 5:22  Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.

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

Thorns and briars as we know represent false doctrine (Isa 27:4, Gen 3:18), and when a fool who is likened unto a spiritual drunkard takes God’s word and wraps it around the idol of their heart [a stone bound in sling], that word becomes a thorn or briar that causes damage to the one holding on to the lie “a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard”. As such they can bring spiritual damage to themselves and also to the one who receives the lie and does not try the spirits whether it is of the Lord or not (1Jn 4:1).

A beautiful and comforting reminder is written for us of what God will do with all the thorns and briars in our lives (Isa 27:1-6).

Isa 27:3  I the LORD do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.
Isa 27:4  Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together.(Jer 5:14)
Isa 27:5  Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me.(Php 4:6-7)
Isa 27:6  He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit. [the elect symbolized by Aaron’s rod that budded will bring salvation to all the world (Num 17:8, Oba 1:21)]

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

Pro 26:10 Much travails forth all the more, Yet the hire of the stupid person and his hirer shall pass away.”[CLV]
Pro 26:10 [As] an archer who wounds all, so is he who hires a fool, and he who hires those who pass by.[ACV]

God formed the fool and the transgressor, who is naturally within us as was the case with Adam and Eve, and needs to be destroyed (Isa 45:7 , Gen 3:6).

Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness. I make peace, and create evil. I am LORD who does all these things.

Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Rewarding a fool^H3684 and a transgressor^H5674 is the same thing, and in the Hebrew language we see this witness happening all the time in scripture, where an idea is repeated twice. The word transgressor here means ones who passes over, or crosses over, or goes over, and that is what manifests in the fool when he crosses the path of a harlot and does not flee fornication (problem Pro 6:1-35 , solution Pro 7:1-27).

God’s elect have been blessed to escape like a bird from the fowler’s snare (Psa 124:7) and don’t pass near her gates any longer, or cross over toward the spiritual house of ill repute one could say. God uses the odious sin of fornication that should not be once named amongst us (Eph 5:3) to show us His great disdain for the harlot churches of this world. It is in our simple unconverted easily manipulated, less than carnal babe state that we are easily seduced by the false doctrines of the harlot. We have to go into her to come out!(2Co 6:17)

Eph 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or greed, shall not even be named among you as befits the sanctified,

Pro 7:8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,

1Co 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
1Co 6:18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

H3684  kesı̂yl   kes-eel’   fool
From H3688; properly fat, that is, (figuratively) stupid or silly: – fool (-ish).
Total KJV occurrences: 70

H5674  ‛âbar   transgressors
BDB Definition:
1) to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to pass over, cross, cross over, pass over, march over, overflow, go over
1a2) to pass beyond
1a3) to pass through, traverse
1a3a) passers-through (participle)
1a3b) to pass through (the parts of victim in covenant)
1a4) to pass along, pass by, overtake and pass, sweep by
1a4a) passer-by (participle)
1a4b) to be past, be over
1a5) to pass on, go on, pass on before, go in advance of, pass along, travel, advance
1a6) to pass away
1a6a) to emigrate, leave (one’s territory) [Jud 1:6]
1a6b) to vanish
1a6c) to perish, cease to exist
1a6d) to become invalid, become obsolete (of law, decree)
1a6e) to be alienated, pass into other hands
1b) (Niphal) to be crossed
1c) (Piel) to impregnate, cause to cross
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to cause to pass over, cause to bring over, cause to cross over, make over to, dedicate, devote
1d2) to cause to pass through
1d3) to cause to pass by or beyond or under, let pass by
1d4) to cause to pass away, cause to take away
1e) (Hithpael) to pass over
Part of Speech: verb
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: a primitive root

Pro 26:11  As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

There is that stage in our walk where we come to see that we are powerless over sin, and cannot overcome being in bondage to sin (Eph 2:1-6).

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Even if we are remorseful for the sin in our life and seem to gain temporary relief from the slavery were in, God uses these most discouraging times of our life to remind us that it is only Christ who can set us free from sin (Rom 8:28), and if he does we will not repeat those patterns any longer being made freed from these sinful patterns by the son of God (Joh 8:31-36).

Joh 8:34  Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Joh 8:35  And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
Joh 8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Pro 26:12  Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

Here is an example of a man who is wise in his own conceit “We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?” (Rom 11:18-27). That is the self righteous spirit that wants to rule over our heavens and can only be overcome by the righteousness of Christ being found within us (Php 3:6-9, Gal 2:16, Gal 3:3-5, 1Jn 5:4-5, 2Co 1:24).

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:(Joh 8:36)
Rom 11:27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Gal 2:16  Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Gal 3:3  Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Gal 3:4  Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
Gal 3:5  He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

1Jn 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
1Jn 5:5  Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

2Co 1:24  Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.