Like a thorn bush that goes into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
Parallel Translations
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Like a thorn bush that goes into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
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As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
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As a thorn that cometh into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
Cross-references (1)
Passages linked to Proverbs 26:9 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Proverbs 23:35 “They hit me, and I was not hurt! They beat me, and I don’t feel it! When will I wake up? I can do it again. I can find another.”
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (15 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Whereby he both hurteth himself and others.
Whereby he both hurteth himself and others.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Pro 26:9 [As] a thorn goeth up into the…
Pro 26:9 [As] a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so [is] a parable in the mouth of fools.
Ver. 9. As a thorn goeth up into the hand, &c.] He handleth it hard, as if it were another kind of wood, and it runs into his hand. So do profane persons pervert and pollute the Holy Scriptures, to their own and other men’s destruction. By a parable here the Hebrews understand either these parables of Solomon or the whole book of God. At this day no people under heaven do so abuse Scripture as the Jews do. For commending, in their familiar epistles, some letter they have received, they say, Eloquia Domini, eloquia pura, - The words of my Lord are pure words. When they flatter their friends, Pateat, they say, accessus ad aditum sanctitatis tuae: {a} Let me have access to the sanctuary of thy holiness. When they would testify themselves thankful, Nomini tuo psallam, - I will sing praise to thy name. When they complain, friends forsake them, "Lord," say they, "thou goest not forth with our armies." When they invite their friends to a banquet or a wedding, "In thee have I trusted; let me not be put to confusion." Lo, thus do these witless, wicked wretches abuse God’s parables, and take his name in vain. Whereas the very heathen could say, Non loquendum de Deo sine lumine, - God is not to be talked of lightly, loosely, disrespectfully. "Thou shalt fear that glorious and fearful name, Jehovah thy God," saith Moses, their own lawgiver. {Deu 28:58}
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{a} Weemse.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain As a thorn is in a drunkard’s hand, which…
As a thorn is in a drunkard’s hand, which he cannot hold and manage cautiously, but employeth to his own and others’ hurt,
so is a parable in the mouth of fools; as improper and unprofitable, and, by accident, hurtful to himself and others. See Poole "Pro 26:7".
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain As a thorn goeth up into the hand of…
As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard,.... And he perceives it not; or being in his hand he makes an ill use of it, and hurts himself and others with it;
so is a parable in the mouth of fools, a proverbial sentence respecting religious matters; or a passage of holy Scripture which either he understands not, and has no spiritual perception of, any more than the drunkard has of the thorn in his hand; or which being used as a pun, or by way of jest, as it is the manner of some to pun upon or jest with the Scripture, hurts himself and others, wounds his own conscience, and ruins the souls of others; for it is dangerous meddling with edge tools, and hard to kick against the pricks; so to do is like a drunken man's handling thorns, which he does without judgment, and to his own prejudice and others. Gussetius (x) understands this of a fish hook coming up into the hand of a drunkard empty, without taking any thing by it, and so alike useless is what is said by a fool.
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(x) Ebr. Comment. p. 244.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain A thorn - As a thorn is in a…
A thorn - As a thorn is in a drunkard's hand, which he cannot manage cautiously, but employs to his own and others hurt. So - As unprofitable, and, by accident, hurtful to himself and others.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Pro 26:9. As a thorn, &c. — “It is…
Pro 26:9. As a thorn, &c. — “It is as dangerous for a fool to meddle with a proverb as for a drunkard to handle a thorn, wherewith he hurts himself: but the sharpest saying no more touches a fool with any compunction, though spoken by his own mouth, than the drunkard feels the thorn when it runs into his hand and gives him a grievous wound.” — Bishop Patrick.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Better: “As a thorn which is lifted up in…
Better: “As a thorn which is lifted up in the hand of the drunkard” etc. As such a weapon so used may do mischief to the man himself or to others, so may the sharp, keen-edged proverb when used by one who does not understand it.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain If. Hebrew, "as a thorn goeth up into the,"…
If. Hebrew, "as a thorn goeth up into the," &c. (Protestants) (Haydock) --- If he attempt to handle or to extract one, he will wound himself the more, as the fool would render truth and wisdom contemptible. (Calmet) --- Parable. Septuagint, "but slavery in the hands of fools" groweth up. (Haydock)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain As vexatious and unmanageable as a thorn in a…
As vexatious and unmanageable as a thorn in a drunkard's hand is a parable to a fool. He will be as apt to misuse is as to use it rightly.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 9. As a thorn goeth up (or is taken…
9. As a thorn goeth up (or is taken up) into the hand of a drunkard — One drunk.
So is a parable (or proverb) in the mouth of fools — They will hurt themselves or others with it. A sarcasm.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 9. As a thorn goeth up into the hand]…
9. As a thorn goeth up into the hand] i.e. as a thorn or thornbush taken up by a drunkard wounds himself.
This proverb carries the thought of Pro_26:7 a step further. A parable, or proverb, in the mouth of fools is not only useless but injurious. They take up a sharp, pointed saying, and instead of turning it to account, only injure themselves with it, as a drunkard pierces his own hand with the thorn which he grasps.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (9) As a thorn goeth up into the hand…
(9) As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard.—Rather, (As) a thornbush (which) comes into the hand of a drunkard, so (is) a parable (which comes) into the mouth of fools. They know not how to use it, and only do themselves and others harm by it. (Comp. 2Pe_3:16.)
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain As a thorn goeth up into the hand of…
As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard. There is here no idea of the drunkard"s hand being pierced with a thorn while he is insensible to the pain, but rather of his being armed with it, and ripe for mischief. So it is best to render, "A thornbush cometh into the hand of a drunkard;" he somehow gets possession of it, and in his stupid excitement is liable to become dangerous. Some understand hl of the growth of the thorn; thus the Septuagint, "Thorns grow in the hand of a drunkard;" Vulgate, "As if a thorn grew in the hand of a drunkard." But one does not see the bearing of such an expression; and the translation given above is more appropriate. So is a parable, etc. (as ver. 7). In that passage the wise saying in a fool"s mouth was compared with something useless, here it is compared with something injurious. He employs it purposely to wound others; or by the ignorant use of some sharp-edged word he does much mischief. In this hemistich the LXX has read l with a different vocalization, and renders, "servitude (douleia ) in the hand of fools." This seems to mean that it comes natural to fools to be manacled and restrained by force.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 Like a thorn ... is a proverb in the…
Like a thorn ... is a proverb in the mouth of fools
How the two are alike can be stated clearly. AT: "A proverb in the mouth of fools is as dangerous as a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard" (See: Simile)
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a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard
Possible meanings are 1) if a drunk person holds a thornbush, a thorn will prick his hand, or 2) if a drunk person is angry, he will pick up a thornbush and swing it at people. For the second meaning, the word "thorn" represents a thornbush. (See: Synecdoche)
in the mouth of fools
Here "mouth" is a metonym for speaking. AT: "in the speech of fools" or "that fools say" (See: Metonymy)
hires a fool
"gives a job to a fool"
translationWords
drunk
proverb
fool
archer
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 26:9 A proverb misapplied by a fool might actually…
26:9 A proverb misapplied by a fool might actually cause harm. Cp. 26:7.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.