Fool

^. InOT. Thewordstr^by 'fool," folly,' ' foolishness,' are the following : 1. V};, nV;j ("I'P- Byij in Dt32«, see Driver, ad loc, and on 22=' 32"'-'''). 2. S-C3, h:s, ,iSi3, m^xh ^??. ^??. "-^f? (the root •jDr means possibly ' to be thick, plump, sluggish '). 3. Vix, •'r-i.y, n^iN (root-conception possibly the same as in the preceding). 4. "7^1.1=, ni"??!.!, ri^Si.T (from a root suggesting the idea' o^ wild frantic folly). 5. 7;?

, n^;Fi (from a root 'to be insipid'), only in Job F^ 24'^ Jer 23'^. 6. nbm (supposed by Dillni. to be connected with Eth. tahala, ' to err '), Job 4". All these terms denote something distinct from imbecility on the one hand and insanity on the other hand. It is in the forms under 4 only that the notions of 'folly' and 'madness' come together (cf. Job 12", Is 44-^ with 1 S 21'3, Jer 25'«). As a rule, difi'erent words (derivatives from v:y) are used for ' madman ' and ' madness.'

The OT idea of ' folly ' can be best understood from the antithesis it forms to ' wisdom.' Wisdom is not a theoretical or abstractly scientific apprehension of things, but such a practical immediate insight into their reality and manner of action as enables one to use them to advantage. Correspondingly, a fool is not one who is delieient in the power of logical thought, but one who lacks the natural discernment and tact required for success in life.

Both wisdom and folly are teleological conceptions, and rest on the principle of adjustment to a higher law for some practical purpose. This general idea is, however, applied with considerable variety as to particular shades of meaning. (a) In the widest sense folly is lack of common- sense in ordinary atiairs (Gn 31'-^, 1 S 25'^ [V51, ■i'^;:], 26-' [Vjpn], 2 S 15^' ['?;□]). Here the element of'un- reasonableness and infcxpedier.t-y is most prominent.

(b) A moral and religions element enters into the conception where it expresses flagrantly sinful conduct such as ofl'ends against the fundamental principles of natural law and usage. In tliis sense fools are great sinners — impious, reprobate people.

But the original idea is retained in so far as the thought of sudden divine retribution lies in the background, it being considered the height of folly, by violating the elementary rules of religion and morality, to expose one's self to the untimely end which frequently befalls the fool (Jos 7", 2 S 3^ (cf. Driver, in loco), Job 2'" 3iJ» 5, ^ [all '?;:, .-^;j], Ps 107" ['''V>;]).

A profounder and more spiritual- ized turn is given to this idea in some of the psalms, where it is applied to sin as such (Ps 38= 69"' [n^'N], cf. 2 S 24"> [^j:j]). This whole usage, with' its identification of what is sensible and riglit, be- speaks a high development of the pojiular moral sense in Israel. (c) A special usage connected with the foregoing characterizes as folly sexual sins of various kinds (Gn 34', Dt 22-', Jg 19,, ■"•_« 20«- '», Jer 29-^).

'I'he standin" phrase is 'folly in Israel,' ' whicli ouglit not to be done,' the implication being that such ollences go against all reason in undermining the foundations of .society as well as destroying the holiness of I.srael. "75: and n^-} are regularly used in this meaning ; a synonym is .171 ' lewdness ' ; cf. further the sense of ™^:j in Hos 2'% and of the verb in passages like Jer 14-', Mic 7", Xah 3" ; furtlier, n^;j in Job 42*.

(</) Inasmuch as in the Mosaic law a special norm has been given for the wise guidance of Israel's life, disregard of this law is equiv.'iliMit to fooli., h- ness. Apostate Israel is 'a foolish C??.;) people and unwise ' (Dt 32"); the Gentiles, not posses.sed of such a revelation, are ' a foolish nation,' ' a no- people' (Dt 32-'; cf. Dt 4«, Jer 4'=' [i?;;]). The heatlien diviners stanil revealed as fools wlien the divinely-guided course of history foretold to I.

-rael mocks their prog^nostications (Is i9"- " 44-\ Kzk l.'"). Especially the higher cla.sses among Israel might be expected to have profited by this wisdom (Jer 5'). [e) A more specialized meanin^jC isas.sunied bj' the term ' fool ' in the so-called IJokhma-literature ul the OT (Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and some psalms and prophetic passages). Here also foolisliness is the opposite of wisdom.

But wisdom has developed, out of the unreflecting instinctive gift of seeing right and doing right, into the conscious art of successfully ordering the whole of individual life and conduct in harmony with the teleological principles of the divine government of the world, especiallj' as embodied in the revealed law.

Hence wisdom and folly are here introduced as personi- fications ; and the divine wisdom, as the arche- typal source of every teleological arrangement, is distinguished from human wisdom. Wisdom in this sense is ' practical virtuosity in the entire domain of ethics' (Riehm) ; it is equivalent to methodically applied religion and morality, as appears from the frequent interchange between it and the terms denoting piety and righteousness.

Kolly, as its contrast, is presented under two aspects, being either confined to a simple disregard of the rules of wisdom, or proceeding to open denial of the principle of divine government on which these rules are based. In the former character the fool is elaborately depicted in Proverbs.

While wisdom consists primarily in circumspect behaviour, self- control, self-restraint, and teachableness, the fool is he who lets his undisciplined nature have free play — the self-reliant, self-pleased, arrogant, indo- cile, hasty with words, contentious, envious, quick to anger, intemperate, credulous, sluggish, given to pursuit of vain things, unable to conceal his o^vn folly and shame. As easily seduced, he is called 'n?

' simple,' as unreceptive of instruction either by counsel or experience S'pj, as by nature stupid li's, as insensible to the claims of God or man h^ ; cf. the definition of S53 in Is 32* (in Pr '?:}} occurs only 17'-"' 30-'^ 'j-ift 19t.', Vpj 49 1.) Folly, in the most advanced sense of a systema- tically conceived and applied theory of life opposed to thatof wisdom, isequivalentto practical atheism.

The fool {i^i) is he who has said in his heart, ' There is no God ' ; by which, not a theoretical denial of the divine existence, but a practical negation of God's moral government is meant (Ps 14' 53' 39«, Is 9"). Synonymous with S?} in this meaning is yh ' mocker.' B. In NT. Analogies for most of the above meanings may be found in NT, usually wdth a some- what larger admixture of the intellectual element.

(a) Foolishness appears as the lack of common- sense perception of the reality of things natural and spiritual, or as the imprudent ordering of one's life in regard to salvation ; i.<(>pwv, fioipo^, otoVos (Mt 7^ 23" 25'-"f-, Lk 11« 12» 9A^, Gal 3'- »). (b) The OT ^ai as a moral reprobate reappears in the ixupi of Mt 5—, a term of opprobrium dis- tinguished by its ethical import from the Aramaic 'Pa/cd, occurring in the same verse and expressing merely intellectual imbecility.

(c) Of the natural foolishness belonging to the heathen mind, the only remedy for which lies in the wisdom supplied by revelation, we read in Ro 2™, Tit 3». The counterpart of the OT idea of the law as an institution for the wise guidance of Israel is furnished by St. Paul, who represents the gospel as a teleological arrangement in which the highest wisdom is manifested and recognized by the believer (Ro 11^).

Inasmuch, however, as the Gentile mind sustains a radically wrong re- lation to the moral world, it fails to see this marvellous adaptation and decries the gospel as foolishness. Even the converted Greek is under temptation to justify its reasonableness from the worldly point of view by such a presentation as will materially alter its character.

Hence the sharp antithesis, I Co l''-^ 2' 3'8-=3 4'«, the wisdom of the world is foolishness to God, the foolishness of Christ crucified is the wisdom of God. (d) In Ro 16", Epli 5">- " we are reminded ol the 5okhma usage. Tlie fool under whose mask St. Paul speaks 2 Co U'"- corresponds in a formal sense to the boasting fool of Proverbs. LiTBKATTOE.— Bruch, WeUheitdchre der llehriier ; Oheyne, Job and Solomon ; Oremer, Wurterb. der NT Or., l.vv. r^a, ro?

/'« ; Delitzsch, Proverbi (Introduction) ; Kuvper, Encyd. ii. 66-71; Oehler, Thiol, of OT part iii. ; Uichm, Altttit. TheologU, 860-369 ; Sie^ried, Philo von Altxandrien ; Smend, Lehrb. der alttest. Religwnsgeechichte, 608-626. Geerhardus Vos.