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fool, foolishness, folly


Terms referring to the lack of wisdom. In general, a fool in the Bible is a person who lives life as if God and God’s will were of no consequence: “Fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God’” (Ps 14:1; Ps 53:1; Prov 1:7). Fools can be recognized by various characteristics: lack of intelligence or experience, sometimes without being aware of it (Prov 12:15; Eccl 5:1; Luke 12:20); an inability to be cautious in speech (Prov 18:6-7); or pursuing courses of conduct or action that ultimately prove to be harmful (2Sam 24:10). In Matt 5:22, however, Jesus warns that anyone who calls a brother or sister a “fool” is in danger of eternal punishment.

  • Powell, Mark Allan, ed. HarperCollins Bible Dictionary. Abridged Edition. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2009.