Fools and Sluggards
Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or passerby. Proverbs 26:10 · Berean Standard Bible
Hiring a fool is like hiring someone who shoots arrows randomly—you have no idea what damage they'll cause, and you're the one who'll pay for it.
Employment matters. When you bring someone into your business or household who lacks wisdom or reliability, they'll create unpredictable chaos. You're essentially gambling with your own wellbeing.
The wisdom tradition, giving practical guidance about hiring and trust.
Part of the biblical understanding that leadership and stewardship matter. You're responsible for the people you bring into your sphere of influence.
Hiring a fool—or a stranger with no accountability—is like an archer shooting randomly into a crowd; you cannot predict the damage.
The employer-employee relationship involves entrusting someone with your interests, resources, and reputation; a fool or an unknown passerby lacks the investment in your flourishing that would guide their actions, making every directive a gamble with unpredictable outcomes.
The wisdom teachers, extending the principle of verse 6 to the broader category of those lacking wisdom or accountability.
This verse addresses the practical economics of the ancient world—hiring decisions reflect not merely financial calculation but judgment about character, reliability, and shared values; wisdom considers the full implications of whom you invite into your enterprise.
8Like binding a stone into a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.
9Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
10Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or passerby.
11As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.
12Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
Read all of Proverbs 26 — As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. The proverbs get sharper — and funnier — here.
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