Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom, when they are not able to understand it? New Living Translation It is senseless to pay to educate a fool, since he has no heart for learning. English Standard Version Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom when he has no sense? Berean Standard Bible Why should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom? King James Bible Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it? New King James Version Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom, Since he has no heart for it? New American Standard Bible Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, When he has no sense? NASB 1995 Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, When he has no sense? NASB 1977 Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, When he has no sense? Legacy Standard Bible Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to acquire wisdom, When he has no heart of wisdom? Amplified Bible Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, When he has no common sense or even a heart for it? Christian Standard Bible Why does a fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom? Holman Christian Standard Bible Why does a fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom? American Standard Version Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, Seeing he hath no understanding? Aramaic Bible in Plain English Why does property go to a fool when he has no heart to possess wisdom? Brenton Septuagint Translation Why has the fool wealth? for a senseless man will not be able to purchase wisdom. He that exalts his own house seeks ruin; and he that turns aside from instruction shall fall into mischief. Contemporary English Version Why should fools have money for an education when they refuse to learn? Douay-Rheims Bible What doth it avail a fool to have riches, seeing he cannot buy wisdom? He that maketh his house high, seeketh a downfall: and he that refuseth to learn, shall fall into evils. English Revised Version Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, seeing he hath no understanding? GOD'S WORD® Translation Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom when he doesn't have a mind to grasp anything? Good News Translation It does a fool no good to spend money on an education, because he has no common sense. International Standard Version What is this? A fool has enough money to buy wisdom, but is senseless? JPS Tanakh 1917 Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool To buy wisdom, seeing he hath no understanding? Literal Standard Version Why [is] this—a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, | And a heart—there is none? Majority Standard Bible Why should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom? New American Bible Of what use is money in the hands of fools when they have no heart to acquire wisdom? NET Bible Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no intention of acquiring wisdom? New Revised Standard Version Why should fools have a price in hand to buy wisdom, when they have no mind to learn? New Heart English Bible Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, seeing he has no understanding? Webster's Bible Translation Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it? World English Bible Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, since he has no understanding? Young's Literal Translation Why is this -- a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, And a heart there is none? Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Better a Dry Morsel in Quietness…15Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous—both are detestable to the LORD. 16Why should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom? 17A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.… Cross References Proverbs 23:23 Invest in truth and never sell it--in wisdom and instruction and understanding. Proverbs 24:7 Wisdom is too high for a fool; he does not open his mouth in the meeting place. Treasury of Scripture Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he has no heart to it? Proverbs 1:22,23 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? … Proverbs 8:4,5 Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man… Proverbs 9:4-6 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, … seeing Proverbs 14:6 A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth. Proverbs 18:15 The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge. Proverbs 21:25,26 The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour… Jump to Previous Buy Desire Fool Foolish Hand Heart Mind Money Price Sense Understanding Use Wherefore WisdomJump to Next Buy Desire Fool Foolish Hand Heart Mind Money Price Sense Understanding Use Wherefore WisdomProverbs 17 1. Contrasts between the Righteous and the Wicked(16) Wherefore is there a price . . .--He will still remain a fool, though he has paid high for instruction, if he has no capacity for taking it in.Verse 16. - Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom? A fool thinks that there is a royal road to wisdom, and that it, like other things, is to be purchased with reentry. Vulgate, Quid prodest stulto habere divitias, cum sapientiam emere non possit? The rabbis in later time were not allowed to take fees for teaching; but it was customary to make offerings to seers and wise men, when their services were engaged or their advice was asked (see the case of Saul and Samuel, 1 Samuel 9:7, 8). The last clause gives the reason why it is useless for a fool to try to learn wisdom even at a large expenditure on teachers. Seeing he hath no heart to it; i.e. no capability for receiving it; his mental digestion cannot assimilate it. The heart, as we have already noticed, is regarded as the seat of the understanding. Thus the LXX., "Why doth a fool have wealth? for a man without heart cannot acquire wisdom." In the Gospel Christ calls his disciples "fools and slow of heart to believe what the prophets had written, and himself opened their mind (τὸν νοῦν), that they might understand the Scriptures" (Luke 24:25, 45). The Septuagint and Vulgate here introduce a distich derived from portions of vers. 19, 20, "He who raises his house high seeketh destruction; and he who perversely declineth from learning (ὁ δὲ σκολιάζων τοῦ μαθεῖν) shall fall into evils." Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Whyלָמָּה־ (lām·māh-) Interrogative Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what should the fool כְּסִ֑יל (kə·sîl) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 3684: Stupid fellow, dullard, fool have money מְחִ֣יר (mə·ḥîr) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 4242: Price, payment, wages in his hand בְּיַד־ (bə·yaḏ-) Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct Strong's 3027: A hand with no אָֽיִן׃ (’ā·yin) Adverb Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle intention וְלֶב־ (wə·leḇ-) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre of buying לִקְנ֖וֹת (liq·nō·wṯ) Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Strong's 7069: To erect, create, to procure, by purchase, to own wisdom? חָכְמָ֣ה (ḥāḵ·māh) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 2451: Wisdom Links Proverbs 17:16 NIVProverbs 17:16 NLT Proverbs 17:16 ESV Proverbs 17:16 NASB Proverbs 17:16 KJV Proverbs 17:16 BibleApps.com Proverbs 17:16 Biblia Paralela Proverbs 17:16 Chinese Bible Proverbs 17:16 French Bible Proverbs 17:16 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Proverbs 17:16 Why is there money in the hand (Prov. Pro Pr) |