FOOL, FOLLY
In biblical usage, the word fool has a wide range of meanings. Among these there is the usual variety of everyday meanings where the word applies to those who are careless, thoughtless, stupid, foolish, wicked or easily led (1Sa 25:25; Pro 7:7; Pro 9:13; Pro 10:23; Pro 17:7; Pro 17:18; Pro 24:30; Mat 25:2; 2Co 11:16-20; 2Ti 2:23). But the writers of the Bible also use the word with a particular meaning because of the accountability of all people to their Creator. The writers apply it to those who rely entirely on their own understanding and ability instead of relying on God. Foolishness in this sense is not so much denial of Gods existence as rebellion against him (Psa 14:1; Pro 1:7; Pro 12:15; Isa 32:6; Jer 4:22; Luk 12:20; Eph 5:17).
Therefore, the greatest fools may be those whom the world considers wise. They may think Gods way of salvation through Christs death to be foolish, but if they reject that salvation, they themselves are foolish (1Co 1:18-24). By calling Gods work of salvation foolish, people display their ignorance. Such salvation is based on a wisdom that is beyond the capacity of the human mind to understand fully (1Co 1:25; see WISDOM).
A widely used term of abuse in Jesus time was a word that has also been translated fool. Jesus referred to this abusive expression when illustrating that hate is the root cause of murder. Because God is concerned with peoples attitudes as well as their actions, a person with uncontrolled hate is as liable to Gods punishment as a murderer (Mat 5:21-22).
Fuente: Bridgeway Bible Dictionary
Fool, Folly
fool , nabhal, , ‘ewl, , kesl, , sakhal 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 in Isa 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 (1Sa 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 (Gen 34:7; Deu 22:21; Jos 7:15; Jdg 19:23, Jdg 19:14; Jdg 20:6, Jdg 20:10; 2Sa 13:12). When in Psa 14:1; Psa 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. In Isa 32:5, Isa 32:6 the King James Version nabhal is translated vile person and nebhalah villany, the Revised Version (British and American) fool and folly, Jer 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 (Psa 5:5; Psa 73:3; Psa 75:4, margin fools); sakhal, a fool, also occurs (Gen 31:28; 1Sa 13:13, etc.) for which word see (4) below; also ya’al to be empty, to be or become foolish (Num 12:11; Isa 19:13; Jer 5:4; Jer 50:36).
2. The Wisdom Literature
In the Hokhmah 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 Pro 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. See WISDOM. Various words are used to designate the fool and his folly.
(1) nabhal (Job 2:10; Job 30:8; Psa 53:1; Pro 17:7-21); , nebhalah (Job 42:8; Isa 9:17) (see above).
(2) ‘ewl, one of the commonest, the idea conveyed by which is that of one who is hasty, impatient, self-sufficient (Pro 12:15; Pro 15:5; Pro 16:22); despising advice and instruction (Pro 1:7; Pro 14:9; Pro 24:7); ready to speak and act without thinking (Pro 10:14; Pro 12:16; Pro 20:3); quick to get angry, quarrel and cause strife (Pro 11:29; Pro 14:17 ‘iwweleth; Pro 29:9); unrestrained in his anger (Job 5:2; Pro 17:12); silly, stupid even with brute stupidity (Pro 7:22; Pro 26:11; Pro 27:22; compare Isa 19:11; Jer 4:22); he is associated with transgression (Psa 107:17; Pro 13:15; Pro 17:18, Pro 17:19), with sin (Pro 24:9), with the scoffer (same place) ; ‘iwweleth, foolishness occurs (Psa 38:5; Psa 69:5; Pro 13:16; folly, Pro 14:8, Pro 14:24, Pro 14:29, etc.).
(3) kesl 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 (Pro 14:16; Pro 28:26); ignorance (Ecc 2:14); hate of instruction (Pro 1:22; Pro 18:2); thoughtlessness (Pro 10:23; Pro 17:24); self-exposure (Pro 14:33; Pro 15:2; Pro 18:7; Pro 29:11; Ecc 5:1; Ecc 10:12); anger and contention (Pro 18:6; Pro 19:1; Ecc 7:9); rage (Pro 14:16; Pro 17:12); indolence and improvidence (Ecc 4:5; Pro 21:20); silly merriment (Ecc 7:4, Ecc 7:5, Ecc 7:6); brutishness (Pro 26:11; compare Psa 49:10; Psa 92:6); it is associated with slander (Pro 10:18), with evil (Pro 13:19).
(4) sakhal, sekhel, sikhluth, 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 (compare 1Sa 26:21; 2Sa 24:10, etc.). These words do not occur in Prov, but in Ecc 2:12; Ecc 7:25; sikhluth is associated with madness (Wickedness is folly, and … foolishness is madness).
(5) peth, simple, is only once translated foolish (Pro 9:6 the King James Version).
(6) baar, ‘brutish, is translated foolish (Psa 73:22 the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American) brutish).
(7) taphel, insipid, untempered, is translated foolish (Lam 2:14); tiphlah, insipidity (Job 1:22, foolishly, the English Revised Version, with foolishness; Job 24:12, folly; Jer 23:13, folly, the King James Version marginunsavoury, 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 marginnor 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 (Luk 11:40; Luk 12:20; 1Co 15:36); aphrosune, want of mind or wisdom (2Co 11:1; Mar 7:22); anoia, want of understanding (2Ti 3:9); morano, to make dull, foolish (Rom 1:22; 1Co 1:20); moros, dull, stupid (Mat 7:26; Mat 23:17; Mat 25:2; 1Co 1:25, 1Co 1:27); mora, foolishness (1Co 1:18, etc.); morologa, foolish talk (Eph 5:4).
In Mat 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 (Mat 23:17, Mat 23:19), but represents the Hebrew morah, rebel applied in Num 20:10 by Moses to the people, ye rebels (for which he was believed to be excluded from the promised land; compare Num 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. (Psa 14:1; Psa 53:1).