Today we’re turning to the second character in the book of Proverbs: the fool. Same reminder as always, this isn’t a specific personality type. We all carry parts of the wise, the simple, and the fool. I’m reminded constantly that a lot of me is still the fool, further along than I used to be, but nowhere near done.
The last four parts of this study dove into the wise, part one, part two, part three, and part four. If you haven’t watched, listened, or read those yet, go start there, since we’re building each part on the one before it.
This is a person steadily opposed to God’s covenant. Proverbs assumes someone like this can exist even among God’s own people, resistant even to the offer of forgiveness built into the covenant itself. Before we get to what the fool actually does, we need to slow down on the word itself, because English flattens a lot of what the original language is doing.
The Word Despise Is Doing a Lot of Work
Before we get to which word for fool is being used, we have to look at the verb in Proverbs 1:7.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
“Despise” translates the Hebrew word buz, and it means to hold something in contempt, to belittle it, to ridicule it. This isn’t neutral language. It isn’t saying the fool misses wisdom or struggles with it or finds it a little difficult. It’s an act of contempt. Whatever specific word for fool shows up in a given verse, that posture of contempt is sitting underneath it.
Let this be as much of a call-out moment for you as it was for me. Where in your life are you despising the wisdom of the Lord? Where are you actively choosing to reject what He’s showing you?
Kesil: The Closed-Minded Fool
There are actually three different Hebrew words for fool in this book, three different ways of describing our stupidity.
The most common one, used 49 times in Proverbs, is kesil. This is a dull, closed-minded, thick-headed fool. He isn’t necessarily loud or aggressive about it. He’s just lazy and short-sighted enough that he rejects information from other people as a matter of habit. Picture someone who nods along and does whatever he was already going to do anyway. That’s kesil.
If your mind immediately jumped to a specific person when you read that, take a step back and remember you’re that way too about some things. I felt convicted by that the moment I wrote it. God doesn’t want us using this word as a way to talk about other people. It’s meant to be a mirror first.
Nabal: The One Who Can’t Perceive
Then there’s nabal, the one who can’t perceive. This word only shows up three times in the whole book, so it’s rare, but it describes something specific: someone lacking spiritual perception entirely.
This is less about stubbornness and more about a real insensitivity to the consequences of one’s own actions. This fool genuinely doesn’t get it, not because he’s willfully ignoring the truth, but because the capacity to see it simply isn’t there. He doesn’t see what his actions do to himself, to other people, to God, or to basic ethical norms, not because he’s refusing to look, but because he can’t.
‘Ewil: The Hardened Fool
The third word is ‘ewil, used 19 times, and this is the fool Proverbs 1:7 actually has in view. This person is arrogant, flippant, and mentally dull all at once, coarse and hardened in his ways.
I want to correct something I’ve said before. This isn’t primarily about recklessness or a total lack of constraint. It’s about arrogance that has calcified into something hardened, someone who has settled into rejecting God and wisdom and isn’t particularly bothered by it.
If a specific person came to mind while you were reading this, take that as an opportunity instead of a dismissal. Pray for them. Ask God how you can be an example of Jesus in their life, because the only one who can actually get through a hardened heart is the Lord Himself.¹
I constantly have to remind myself that if God can take care of the flowers, He can take care of me, too. This is especially true when it comes to taking care of my body. He made the lilies beautiful and they don’t even have to try. That’s why I made the Lilies of the Field sticker, so you could have a reminder on your water bottle, computer or even your Bible that God’s always got you. Check it out on the sticker shop here!
Why These Three Words Matter
It would be easier to just say “fool” and move on, but flattening all three of these into one idea turns the fool into a single flat villain, someone easy to point at and distance yourself from. These are three different postures: closed off, unperceiving, and hardened. If you’re honest, most of us have shown up in at least one of these at some point without ever becoming the caricature of “fool” we picture in our heads. Keeping the words separate keeps this honest instead of cartoonish.
You’ve probably seen the reels where someone jokes, “you think you can hurt me? The Bible just called me a fool today.” Those are funny because we can all relate. But if you actually feel convicted by one of these words, that’s not something to laugh off and scroll past. That’s the Lord giving you a specific opportunity to pray about something specific. Take it to Him. Fall on your knees and ask Him to help.
There’s a passage in the New Testament where a father brings his son to Jesus for healing and says, “I believe; help my unbelief!” That’s the posture I try to take here too. Lord, I want to trust You. Help me trust You. I don’t want to be foolish anymore. Help me see what I don’t want to see. Help me see where I’m blind, and help me believe You can actually change me. These aren’t things to gloss over. They matter more than we usually give them credit for.
Sit With This
Take the time to sit with these instead of rushing past them.
- Of the three, kesil’s closed-off stubbornness, nabal’s inability to perceive consequences, or ‘ewil’s hardened arrogance, which one is honestly easiest for you to slip into?
- Despise means active contempt, not passive struggle. Is there an area of your life where you’ve quietly held wisdom in contempt rather than simply struggled to live it out? If so, write it down, journal about it, and take it to the Lord in prayer. God isn’t going to leave you hanging if you ask Him for wisdom. He wants you to have it. You just have to ask.
If you have questions or want to talk through your answers, come join the Facebook group.
I love you. God loves you.
Sources
- Sid S. Buzzell, “Proverbs,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 907-908, with the kesil and nabal entries cross-checked against G. Scott Gleaves, “Foolishness,” in Lexham Theological Wordbook, ed. Douglas Mangum et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).
