Proverbs 26:11

Pro 26:11 As a dog returneth to his vomit, [so] a fool returneth to his folly.

Ver. 11. As a dog returneth to his vomit.] A homely comparison, able to make a true Christian ready to lay up all, but good enough for the odious apostate to whom it is applied. Such a one was Judas, Julian, Ecebolius, Baldvinus, Islebius, Agricola, that first Antinomian, - who did many times promise amendment, and yet afterwards fell to his error again; - after that he condemned his error, and recanted it in a public auditory, and printed his revocation; yet when Luther was dead, he relapsed into that error, so hard a thing is it to get poison out when once swallowed down. Harding, Bishop Jewel’s antagonist, was in King Edward’s days a thundering preacher against Popery, wishing he could cry out against it as loud as the bells of Oseney, so that by his preaching many were confirmed in the truth. All which to be so they can testify that heard him and be yet alive, saith Mr Foxe. See an excellent letter of the Lady Jane Grey’s to him while she was prisoner in the Tower, "Acts and Monuments," fol. 1291, wherein she wills him to remember the horrible history of Julian of old, and the lamentable case of Spira a late, &c.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Pro_26:11

As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

The accustomed course resumed

Dost thou ever raise thy little dam across the streamlet, and think to dry the bed below? Hast thou accomplished thy work, and stood watching awhile thy success? Hast thou seen the water above deepen and widen, and gather strength, and at length, impatient of restraint, push through thy yielding barrier, and resume its accustomed course? But couldst thou have turned the stream into another channel thou hadst triumphed, and the former bed had been left dry. So thou hast attempted, perhaps, to confine thy sinful will by the barrier of good resolutions. Thou hast seemed for awhile to gain thy point, and sin was at a stand. Alas! thou hast found that it but gained force by restraint; ere awhile the inclination has burst through all thy well-formed resolves, and hath rushed more impetuously than ever to the forbidden object. No; the will and affections must be turned into another course--towards God and heaven, and things spiritual; and then shall they cease to flow through the tempting vanities of this evil world. This I say, then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Gal_5:16.) (H. G. Salter.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The series of proverbs regarding fools is continued:

Like a dog which returneth to his vomit,

Is a fool who cometh again with his folly.

שׁב is like שׁונה, particip.; only if the punctuation were כּכּלב, ought "which returneth to his vomit" to be taken as a relative clause (vid., under Psa 38:14). Regarding על as designating the terminus quo with verbs of motions, vid., Khler under Mal. 3:24. On קא = קיא, cf. Pro 23:8. Luther rightly; as a dog devours again his vomit. The lxx translate: ὥσπερ κύων ὅταν ἐπέλθῃ ἐπὶ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἔμετον; the reference in Pe2 2:22 : κύων ἐπιστρέψας ἐπὶ τὸ ἴδιον ἐξέραμα, is thus not from the lxx; the Venet. is not connected with this N.T. citation, but with the lxx, if its accordance with it is not merely accidental. To devour again its vomit is common with the dog.

(Note: Vid., Schulze's Die bibl. Sprichwrter der deutschen Sprache, p. 71f.)

Even so, it is the manner of fools to return again in word and in deed to their past folly (vid., regarding שׁנה with ב of the object. Pro 17:9); as an Aram. popular saying has it: the fool always falls back upon his foolish conduct.

(Note: Vid., Wahl's Das Sprichwort der heb.-aram. Literatur, p. 147; Duke's Rabbin. Blumenlese, p. 9.)

He must needs do so, for folly has become to him a second nature; but this "must" ceases when once a divine light shines forth upon him. The lxx has after Pro 26:11 a distich which is literally the same as Sir. 4:21.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

(Pro 26:11 quoted in the NT: 2Pe 2:22 )

And is this the picture of man — "made a little lower than the angels" (Psa 8:5 ) — yea — "made in the likeness of God"? (Gen 1:26 .) Who that saw Adam in his universal dominion, sitting as the monarch of creation; summoning all before him; giving to each his name, and receiving in turn his homage (Gen 2:20 ) — who would have conceived of his children sunk into such brutish degradation? The tempter’s promise was — "Ye shall be as gods." (Gen 3:5 .) The result of this promise was — ’Ye shall be as beasts.’ The vilest comparisons are used to shew man’s loathsomeness in the sight of God. ’Do any feel disgusted at the allusion? Let them remember, that the emblem is far less filthy, than the thing denoted by it; and that the whole race of animals does not afford anything so debasing, as not to be far outdone by the excesses of libertines, drunkards, and gluttons.’†1 We naturally turn away with sickening from this sight. Would that we had the same disgust at the sin, which it so graphically portrays! Would that we might abhor ourselves for that, which God infinitely abhors in us!

The Apostle uses this "true proverb" to describe the awful condition of apostates (2Pe 2:20-22 ) — temporary conviction, unaccompanied with real conversion of heart, and falling away to desperate hardness. Many reasons may produce disgust in the sinner’s mind to his folly. He may loathe, and for a while relinquish it. It has proved so fraught with misery (Pro 13:15 ); its very pleasures so impregnated with poison; that no wonder if he make an occasional, or even a strong effort to be rid of it. But when the sickness has passed away, the sweetness of the forbidden fruit again comes to mind; the heart and affections are again clasped around the world, and, as a dog returneth to his vomit — to the food, which had caused his sickness; so a fool returneth to his folly — to that, which had been his hurt and shame.

Thus greedily did Pharaoh return from his momentary conviction;†2 Ahab from his feigned repentance;†3 Herod from his partial amendment;†4 the drunkard from his brutish insensibility†5 — all to take a more determinate course of sin; to take their final plunge into ruin. Even a superficial knowledge of Christ is no preservative to an unrenewed heart. The "house may be swept" of outward sin, "and garnished" with external holiness; but if it be "empty," if the Divine inhabitant be not heartily welcomed, the former possessor will quickly return, and tenant it as his fixed home with sevenfold destruction. (Mat 12:43-45 .)

Is not sin then justly termed folly? Does not the God of Truth pronounce it to be so now? Will not every fool confess it to be so at the end, when its wages shall be fully paid in "shame and everlasting contempt"? (Dan 12:2 .) Child of God! hearken to thy Father’s voice of "peace." But ponder also his solemn warning "to his people and to his saints — Let them not turn again to folly."†6

Footnotes:

†1 Scott.

†2 1Ki 22:11 . Jer 5:31 . 2Co 11:13-15 . Gal 1:7 . 2Pe 2:17-19 . Jud 1:12-16 .

†3 1Ki 21:27-29 ; 1Ki 22:8, 1Ki 22:37 .

†4 Mar 6:20-27.

†5 Pro 23:35.

†6 Psa 85:8. Compare Joh 5:14 ; also Sir 21:1 .

Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs (1846) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

26:11 Even when foolishness brings terrible consequences, a fool persists in it (17:10; see also 2 Pet 2:22).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

See here, 1. What an abominable thing sin is, and how hateful sometimes it is made to appear, even to the sinner himself. When his conscience is convinced, or he feels smart from his sin, he is sick of it, and vomits it up; he seems then to detest it and to be willing to part with it. It is in itself, and, first or last, will be to the sinner, more loathsome than the vomit of a dog, Psa 36:2. 2. How apt sinners are to relapse into it notwithstanding. As the dog, after he has gained ease by vomiting that which burdened his stomach, yet goes and licks it up again, so sinners, who have been convinced only and not converted, return to sin again, forgetting how sick it made them. The apostle (Pe2 2:22) applies this proverb to those that have known the way of righteousness but are turned from it; but God will spue them out of his mouth, Rev 3:16.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

returneth . . . folly--Though disgusting to others, the fool delights in his folly.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 11. As a dog returneth to his vomit] 2Pe 2:22.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(11) So a fool returneth to his folly.—Though he knows it to be folly, and ruinous to him: but vice has become to him a second nature, and he cannot, even if he would, escape from it. This is especially true of those who have given way to drink or impurity of life.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

11. So a fool returneth to] Rather, So is a fool that repeateth, R.V.; iterat, Vulg. The Heb. word is not the same as in the first clause of the verse. Comp. on the proverb 2Pe_2:22.

Pro_26:13-16. Another small group of four proverbs, of which the “sluggard” is the subject.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

As a dog returneth to his vomit,.... Who being sick with what he has eaten, casts it up again, and afterwards returns unto it and licks it up;

so a fool returneth to his folly, or "repeats" (a) it, time after time, many times, as Ben Melech; or a wicked man turns to his wickedness, who, having had some qualms upon his conscience for sin, for a while forsakes it; but that fit being over, and he forgetting all his former horror and uneasiness, returns to his old course of life: a wicked man is here compared to a dog, as he is elsewhere for his impudence and voraciousness in sinning; and the filthiness of sin is expressed by the vomit of a dog, than which nothing is more nauseous and loathsome; and the apostasy of the sinner, from an external course of righteousness into open profaneness is signified by the return of this creature to it. This is said to be a "true proverb", Pe2 2:22, where it is quoted and applied.

(a) "qui iterat", Tigurine version, Michaelis; "iterans", Montanus, Mercerus, Cocceius, Gejerus; "duplicans", Schultens.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Dog. This is the only animal which is known to do so. St. Peter uses this comparison to deter any from renouncing the faith; as the Fathers do, to shew the misery attending a relapse. Septuagint here add, "there is a confusion," &c., taken from Ecclesiasticus iv. 25. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

As a dog returneth to his vomit, to lick up that which he had lately vomited, forgetting how burdensome and vexatious it was to him,

so a fool returneth to his folly; such like is the impudence and madness of sinners, who having smarted for their sins, and been forced to forsake them far a time, do afterwards return to the commission of them.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

11. As a dog returneth — Compare 2Pe_2:22.

Returneth to his folly — Repeats it, or turns back unto it. Compare Mat_12:45; Joh_5:14; Heb_6:4-8.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

As the dog returneth to his vomit, (see 2Pe_2:22, which, however, is not quoted from the Septuagint) so a fool returneth to his folly; or, repeateth his folly. The fool never frees himself from the trammels of his foolishness; his deeds and words always bear the same character to the end. The same truth holds good of the sinner, especially the drunkard and the sensualist. If they feel temporary compunction, and reject their sin by partial repentance, they do not really shake it off wholly; it has become a second nature to them, and they soon relapse into it. Septuagint, "As when a dog goes to his own vomit and becomes hateful, so is a fool who returns in his wickedness to his own sin." The LXX adds a distich which is found in Ecc 4:21, "There is a shame that bringeth sin, and there is a shame that is glory and grace."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

As a dog returns to his own vomit

"As a dog eats its own vomit"

Do you see someone who is wise in his own eyes?

This question is used to lead the reader to think about someone who is wise in his own eyes. The phrase "is wise in his own eyes" means "thinks he is wise," and here it implies that the person is not truly wise. AT: "Consider the person who thinks he is wise but is not." (See: Rhetorical Question and Metaphor)

There is more hope for a fool than for him

"A fool can become wise more easily than he can"

translationWords

fool

hope

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.