'Fool' in the Bible

Balaam answered the donkey, “You made me look like a fool. If I had a sword in my hand, I’d kill you now!”

Now consider carefully what you must do, because there is certain to be trouble for our master and his entire family. He is such a worthless fool nobody can talk to him!”

My lord should not pay attention to this wicked man Nabal. He simply lives up to his name! His name means 'fool,' and he is indeed foolish! But I, your servant, did not see the servants my lord sent.

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 this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.

Then Saul said to {his armor bearer}, "Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, so that these uncircumcised do not come and thrust me through and make a fool of me!" But {his armor bearer} [was] not willing [to do so] because he [was] very afraid. So Saul took the sword and fell on it.

And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dieth?

When David went home to pronounce a blessing on his own house, Michal, Saul's daughter, came out to meet him. She said, "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself this day! He has exposed himself today before his servants' slave girls the way a vulgar fool might do!"

With the pure, you show yourself pure, but with the crooked, you appear as a fool.

For anger kills a fool,and jealousy slays the gullible.

I have seen a fool taking root,but I immediately pronounced a curse on his home.

What counsel you provide to the fool! What insight you provide so abundantly!

“If my heart has been enticed and I was made a fool by a woman,Or if I have [covetously] lurked at my neighbor’s door [until his departure],

{To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.} The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

From all my transgressions deliver me, A reproach of the fool make me not.

For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.

{To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, A Psalm of David.} The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.

I was stupid and didn’t understand;I was an unthinking animal toward You.

Arise, O God, plead Thy plea, Remember Thy reproach from a fool all the day.

A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this.

He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;

The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.

He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.

The wise store up knowledge,but the mouth of the fool hastens destruction.

He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.

It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.

He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

The anger of a fool becomes readily apparent, but the prudent person overlooks an insult.

A clever person conceals knowledge, but the heart of a fool announces folly.

Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly.

Fulfilled longing is sweet to the soul, but avoiding evil is detestable to the fool.

He who walks [as a companion] with wise men will be wise,But the companions of [conceited, dull-witted] fools [are fools themselves and] will experience harm.

The proud speech of a fool brings a rod of discipline,but the lips of the wise protect them.

Leave the presence of a fool,Or you will not discern words of knowledge.

A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.

The tongue of the wise treats knowledge correctly, but the mouth of the fool spouts out folly.

A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.

The mind of the intelligent and discerning seeks knowledge and eagerly inquires after it,But the mouth of the [stubborn] fool feeds on foolishness.

Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince.

A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.

Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.

Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it?

He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.

Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.

A grief to his father [is] the child of a fool, and bitterness to her who bore him.

Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.

The lips of a fool enter into strife, And his mouth for stripes calleth.

The mouth of a fool is ruin to him, And his lips are the snare of his soul.

Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

Delight is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes.

It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.

When a mocker is punished, the fool gains wisdom; but when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.

Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.

As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.

Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

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

A proverb in the mouth of a foolis like lame legs that hang limp.

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

A proverb in the mouth of a foolis like a stick with thorns,brandished by the hand of a drunkard.

The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.

As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

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

A stone is heavy and sand, a burden,but aggravation from a fool outweighs them both.

Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

If a wise man goes to court with a fool,there will be ranting and raving but no resolution.

A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.

Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;

The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.

Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.

For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.

And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.

Too many worries lead to nightmares, and a fool is known from talking too much.

For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?

For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.

Surely, the practice of extortion turns a wise person into a fool,and a bribe destroys the mind.

Do not excel at wickedness, nor be a fool. Why die before your time?

The heart of the wise is at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left.

Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.

The fool is appointed to great heights,but the rich remain in lowly positions.

The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.

A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

The work of a fool so wears him out that he can't even find his way to town.

A fool will no longer be called a noble,nor a scoundrel said to be important.

For a fool speaks foolishnessand his mind plots iniquity.He lives in a godless wayand speaks falsely about the Lord.He leaves the hungry emptyand deprives the thirsty of drink.

A road will be there and a way;it will be called the Holy Way.The unclean will not travel on it,but it will be for the one who walks the path.Even the fool will not go astray.

Who has made a god or cast an idol which is profitable for nothing?

who frustrates [the] signs of oracle priests and makes a fool of diviners, who drives [the] wise men back and makes their knowledge foolish,

Then I thought:They are just the poor;they have played the fool.For they don’t understand the way of the Lord,the justice of their God.

As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.

"'As for the prophet, if he is made a fool by being deceived into speaking a prophetic word -- I, the Lord, have made a fool of that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel.

The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.

Surely a son considers his father a fool,a daughter opposes her mother,and a daughter-in-law is against her mother-in-law;a man’s enemies are the men of his own household.

But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

And every one who hears these my teachings and does not act upon them will be found to resemble a fool who builds his house upon sand.