Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and Nature:Folly, in biblical terms, is often synonymous with foolishness and is characterized by a lack of wisdom, understanding, and moral insight. It is the antithesis of wisdom, which is highly valued in Scripture. Folly is not merely intellectual deficiency but is deeply rooted in moral and spiritual failings. It is a condition of the heart and mind that leads individuals away from God's truth and righteousness.
Biblical References and Themes:1.
Proverbs on Folly: The Book of Proverbs extensively contrasts wisdom and folly.
Proverbs 1:7 states, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." This verse highlights that folly is a rejection of divine wisdom and discipline.
Proverbs 14:1 further illustrates, "The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down," indicating that folly leads to destruction and chaos.
2.
Folly as Moral and Spiritual Blindness: In the biblical narrative, folly is often depicted as a moral and spiritual blindness.
Psalm 14:1 declares, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt; their acts are vile. There is no one who does good." This verse underscores that folly is not just ignorance but a willful denial of God, leading to corrupt behavior.
3.
Consequences of Folly: The consequences of folly are severe and manifold.
Proverbs 10:23 states, "The fool delights in shameful conduct, but a man of understanding has wisdom." This suggests that folly results in shame and dishonor. Additionally,
Proverbs 19:3 warns, "A man’s own folly subverts his way, yet his heart rages against the LORD." Here, folly is shown to lead to self-destruction and misplaced blame on God.
4.
Folly in Ecclesiastes: The Book of Ecclesiastes provides a reflective view on folly, often contrasting it with the pursuit of wisdom.
Ecclesiastes 10:1 notes, "As dead flies bring a stench to the perfumer’s oil, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor." This metaphor illustrates how even a small amount of folly can tarnish one's reputation and achievements.
5.
Folly in the New Testament: The New Testament continues to address folly, particularly in the context of spiritual discernment and the rejection of the Gospel. In
1 Corinthians 1:18 , Paul writes, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." This highlights that what is perceived as folly by the world is, in fact, divine wisdom and power.
6.
Folly and the Foolish Builder: Jesus uses the parable of the wise and foolish builders in
Matthew 7:24-27 to illustrate the folly of not acting on His words. The foolish builder constructs his house on sand, leading to its collapse, symbolizing the inevitable downfall of those who ignore Christ's teachings.
Practical Implications:Folly, as depicted in Scripture, serves as a warning against the rejection of God's wisdom and guidance. It calls believers to seek understanding and discernment through a relationship with God, emphasizing the importance of aligning one's life with divine principles. The biblical portrayal of folly encourages a pursuit of wisdom, which begins with the fear of the Lord and is manifested in righteous living.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) The state of being foolish; want of good sense; levity, weakness, or derangement of mind.
2. (n.) A foolish act; an inconsiderate or thoughtless procedure; weak or light-minded conduct; foolery.
3. (n.) Scandalous crime; sin; specifically, as applied to a woman, wantonness.
4. (n.) The result of a foolish action or enterprise.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
FOOL; FOLLYfool 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 inIsaiah 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" (1 Samuel 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 (Genesis 34:7Deuteronomy 22:21Joshua 7:15Judges 19:23, 14;Judges 20:6, 102 Samuel 13:12). When inPsalm 14:1;Psalm 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. InIsaiah 32:5, 6 the King James Version nabhal is translated "vile person" and nebhalah "villany," the Revised Version (British and American) "fool" and "folly,"Jeremiah 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 (Psalm 5:5;Psalm 73:3;Psalm 75:4, margin "fools"); cakhal, "a fool," also occurs (Genesis 31:281 Samuel 13:13, etc.) for which word see (4) below; also ya'al "to be empty," "to be or become foolish" (Numbers 12:11Isaiah 19:13Jeremiah 5:4;Jeremiah 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"Proverbs 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. SeeWISDOM. Various words are used to designate "the fool" and his "folly."
(1) nabhal (Job 2:10;Job 30:8Psalm 53:1Proverbs 17:7-21); nebhalah (Job 42:8Isaiah 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 (Proverbs 12:15;Proverbs 15:5;Proverbs 16:22); despising advice and instruction (Proverbs 1:7;Proverbs 14:9;Proverbs 24:7); ready to speak and act without thinking (Proverbs 10:14;Proverbs 12:16;Proverbs 20:3); quick to get angry, quarrel and cause strife (Proverbs 11:29;Proverbs 14:17 'iwweleth; 29:9); unrestrained in his anger (Job 5:2Proverbs 17:12); silly, stupid even with brute stupidity (Proverbs 7:22;Proverbs 26:11;Proverbs 27:22; compareIsaiah 19:11Jeremiah 4:22); he is associated with "transgression" (Psalm 107:17Proverbs 13:15;Proverbs 17:18, 19), with "sin" (Proverbs 24:9), with the "scoffer" (same place); 'iwweleth, "foolishness" occurs (Psalm 38:5;Psalm 69:5Proverbs 13:16; "folly," Psalm 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 (Proverbs 14:16;Proverbs 28:26); ignorance (Ecclesiastes 2:14); hate of instruction (Proverbs 1:22;Proverbs 18:2); thoughtlessness (Proverbs 10:23;Proverbs 17:24); self-exposure (Proverbs 14:33;Proverbs 15:2;Proverbs 18:7; 29:11Ecclesiastes 5:1;Ecclesiastes 10:12); anger and contention (Proverbs 18:6;Proverbs 19:1Ecclesiastes 7:9); rage (Proverbs 14:16;Proverbs 17:12); indolence and improvidence (Ecclesiastes 4:5Proverbs 21:20); silly merriment (Ecclesiastes 7:4, 5, 6); brutishness (Proverbs 26:11; comparePsalm 49:10;Psalm 92:6); it is associated with slander (Proverbs 10:18), with evil (Proverbs 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 (compare1 Samuel 26:212 Samuel 24:10, etc.). These words do not occur in Prov, but inEcclesiastes 2:12;Ecclesiastes 7:25; cikhluth is associated with "madness" ("Wickedness is folly, and. foolishness is madness").
(5) pethi, "simple," is only once translated "foolish" (Proverbs 9:6 the King James Version).
(6) ba`ar, 'brutish," is translated "foolish" (Psalm 73:22 the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American) "brutish").
(7) taphel, "insipid," "untempered," is translated "foolish" (Lamentations 2:14); tiphlah, "insipidity" (Job 1:22, "foolishly," the English Revised Version, "with foolishness";Job 24:12, "folly";Jeremiah 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" (Luke 11:40;Luke 12:201 Corinthians 15:36); aphrosune, "want of mind or wisdom" (2 Corinthians 11:1Mark 7:22); anoia, "want of understanding" (2 Timothy 3:9); moraino, "to make dull," "foolish" (Romans 1:221 Corinthians 1:20); moros, "dull," "stupid" (Matthew 7:26;Matthew 23:17;Matthew 25:21 Corinthians 1:25, 27); moria, "foolishness" (1 Corinthians 1:18 etc.); morologia, "foolish talk" (Ephesians 5:4).
InMatthew 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 (Matthew 23:17, 19), but represents the Hebrew morah, "rebel" applied inNumbers 20:10 by Moses to the people, "ye rebels" (for which he was believed to be excluded from the promised land; compareNumbers 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. (Psalm 14:1;Psalm 53:1).
W. L. Walker
FOLLY
fol'-i.
SeeFOOL.
Greek
454. anoia --folly, foolishness...folly, foolishness. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: anoia Phonetic
Spelling: (an'-oy-ah) Short Definition:
folly, madness Definition:
folly...3472. moria -- foolishness
... foolishness. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: moria Phonetic Spelling:
(mo-ree'-ah) Short Definition:folly, absurdity Definition:folly...
3155. maten -- in vain, to no purpose
... See 3152 (). Word Origin adverb from acc. of mate (afolly) Definition
in vain, to no purpose NASB Word Usage vain (2). in vain....
3913. paraphronia -- madness
... madness. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: paraphronia Phonetic Spelling:
(par-af-ron-ee'-ah) Short Definition: madness,folly Definition: madness...
877. aphrosune -- foolishness
...folly, foolishly. From aphron; senselessness, ie (euphemistically) egotism; (morally)
recklessness --folly, foolishly(-ness). see GREEK aphron....
3026. leros -- silly talk
... silly talk. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: leros Phonetic Spelling:
(lay'-ros) Short Definition:folly, nonsense, idle talk Definition:folly...
Strong's Hebrew
200. ivveleth --folly... 199, 200. ivveleth. 201 .
folly. Transliteration: ivveleth Phonetic Spelling:
(iv-veh'-leth) Short Definition:
folly. Word Origin
...5531. sikluth --folly
sikluth or sikluth. 5530, 5531. sikluth or sikluth. 5532 .folly. Transliteration:
sikluth or sikluth Phonetic Spelling: (sik-looth') Short Definition:folly...
5529. sekel --folly
...folly. Transliteration: sekel Phonetic Spelling: (seh'-kal) Short Definition:folly.
Word Origin from sakal Definitionfolly NASB Word Usagefolly (1).folly....
5039. nebalah -- senselessness, disgrace
... Word Origin from nabal Definition senselessness, disgrace NASB Word Usage act of
folly (2), disgraceful act (1), disgraceful acts (1), disgraceful thing (3...
3689. kesel -- loins, stupidity, confidence
... Word Origin from kasal Definition loins, stupidity, confidence NASB Word Usage
confidence (4),folly and the foolishness (1), foolish (1), loins (6), thighs (1...
3690. kislah -- stupidity, confidence
... confidence. Word Origin from kasal Definition stupidity, confidence NASB Word
Usage confidence (1),folly (1). confidence,folly. Feminine...
8604. tiphlah -- unsavoriness, unseemliness
... Word Origin from the same as taphel Definition unsavoriness, unseemliness NASB Word
Usage blame* (1),folly (1), offensive thing (1).folly, foolishly....
3687. kesiluth -- stupidity
... 3686, 3687. kesiluth. 3688 . stupidity. Transliteration: kesiluth Phonetic
Spelling: (kes-eel-ooth') Short Definition:folly. Word...
8417. toholah -- error
... praise. Feminine of an unused noun (apparently from halal) meaning bluster; braggadocio,
ie (by implication) fatuity --folly. see HEBREW halal. 8416, 8417....
1948. holeluth -- madness
... Word Origin from halal Definition madness NASB Word Usage madness (1). madness.
From active participle of halal;folly -- madness. see HEBREW halal....
Library
WhetherFolly is a Sin?
... OFFOLLY WHICH IS OPPOSED TO WISDOM (THREE ARTICLES) Whetherfolly is a sin? Objection
1: It would seem thatfolly is not a sin.... Thereforefolly is not a sin....
WhetherFolly is Contrary to Wisdom?
... OFFOLLY WHICH IS OPPOSED TO WISDOM (THREE ARTICLES) Whetherfolly is contrary to
wisdom? Objection 1: It would seem thatfolly is not contrary to wisdom....
WhetherFolly is a Daughter of Lust?
... OFFOLLY WHICH IS OPPOSED TO WISDOM (THREE ARTICLES) Whetherfolly is a daughter
of lust? Objection 1: It would seem thatfolly is not a daughter of lust....
Frailty andFolly.
... Hymns. Book 2. Composed on Divine Subjects. Hymn 2:32. Frailty andFolly. 1
How short and hasty is our life! How vast our souls' affairs!...
OfFolly which is Opposed to Wisdom (Three Articles)
... OFFOLLY WHICH IS OPPOSED TO WISDOM (THREE ARTICLES). We... inquiry: (1) Whether
folly is contrary to wisdom? (2) Whetherfolly is a sin?...
On WorldlyFolly
... Third Series Sermon 119 On WorldlyFolly. "But God said unto him, Thou fool!"
Luke 12:20. But one of these fools is commonly wiser...
TheFolly of this Heresy it Dissects and Mutilates the Deity....
... Chapter III."TheFolly of This Heresy It Dissects and Mutilates the Deity.
Contrasted with the Simple Wisdom of True Religion....
TheFolly and Danger of Parting with Christ for the Pleasures and...
... TheFolly and Danger of Parting with Christ for the Pleasures and Profits
of Life. Matthew 8:23-34 " "And when he was entered into...
Folly of Astrology.
... Book IV. Chapter L."Folly of Astrology. Employing these accounts, (the heretics)
think to deceive as many of these as devote themselves...
Of Justice, Wisdom, andFolly.
... the divine institutes Book V. Of Justice. Chap. XVIII."Of Justice, Wisdom,
andFolly. With reference to our present discussion...
Thesaurus
Folly (68 Occurrences)... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. FOOL;
FOLLY. fool nabhal, 'ewil, kecil, cakhal
and forms; aphron, aphrosune, moros): I. In the Old Testament.
...Disgraceful (17 Occurrences)
... bring out the young lady to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city
shall stone her to death with stones, because she has donefolly in Israel...
Fools (53 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV JPS ASV WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Proverbs 14:8 The wisdom of the prudent
is to think about his way, but thefolly of fools is deceit....
Wanton (20 Occurrences)
... thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath; because he hath transgressed
the covenant of Jehovah, and because he hath wroughtfolly in Israel....
Wantonness (6 Occurrences)
... my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of
the inheritance of Israel; for they have committed lewdness andfolly in Israel...
Madness (13 Occurrences)
... 2. (a.) Frenzy; ungovernable rage; extremefolly. Int.... (See RSV). Ecclesiastes
1:17 I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness andfolly....
Prudent (40 Occurrences)
... foolishness. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Proverbs 13:16 Every
prudent man acts from knowledge, but a fool exposesfolly. (WEB...
Fool (95 Occurrences)
... 5. (n.) One who counterfeitsfolly; a professional jester or buffoon; a retainer
formerly kept to make sport, dressed fantastically in motley, with ridiculous...
Deed (71 Occurrences)
... 7 And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it: and the men were
grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wroughtfolly in Israel...
Unseemliness (4 Occurrences)
... Job 24:12 From out of the populous city men groan, And the soul of the wounded
crieth out: Yet God regardeth not thefolly. (See JPS)....
Resources
Why are both wisdom and foolishness pictured as women in Proverbs? | GotQuestions.orgDo Proverbs 26:4 and 26:5 contradict? How can both verses be true? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does the Bible say about foolishness? | GotQuestions.orgFolly: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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