fool
Two back-to-back verses sound like they are in direct contradiction. What is the meaning of this? Should we answer a fool according to his folly, or should we not? This message argues that the answer is both.
The wise writer of Proverbs says time and again that correction or even rebuke – if it is from God and rooted in truth – should not be hated and rejected. A fool ignores and runs away from the reproof of a wise friend. Today some people think that any kind of rebuke, because it implies wrong thinking or action, is harmful to others. That comes from the school of foolishness, not wisdom.
Proverbs personifies wisdom as a woman calling out for people to listen & learn from her. But there is another woman calling out to people – the personification of foolishness. This lady of folly sits in prominent places, we are told, and has a loud voice. Beware this alluring voice, which leads you to misery and death.