Be wary of the Foolish
Defining terms: What does it mean to be foolish?
FOOL, FOOLISHNESS, AND FOLLY Translations of several uncomplimentary words that appear approximately 360 times throughout the OT and NT to describe unwise and ungodly people. The words are especially predominant in the Wisdom Literature of the OT. Persons who do not possess wisdom are called “fools”; their behavior is described as “folly.” The picture, which emerges from the biblical material, is quite simple: folly is the opposite of wisdom, and a fool is the opposite of a wise person. Both wisdom and folly are depicted as philosophies or perspectives on life. The religious person chooses wisdom, whereas the nonreligious person opts for folly. Wisdom leads to victory; folly to defeat. Wisdom belongs to those who fear God, and the “fear” of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 1:7). Wisdom is the essence of life. The foolish person is the one who is thoughtless, self-centered, and obviously indifferent to God.
Fool, Foolishness, Folly. The Old Testament. Several Hebrew words are rendered “fool,” with nuances ranging all the way from the naive but teachable person (Prov. 14:15pĕtɩ̂, derived from the Hebrew root meaning “open,” hence impressionable) to the hopelessly incorrigible person who deserves no corrective efforts since such will be in vain (Prov. 26:3kĕsɩ̂l). In most cases the context will help the reader determine which of the many meanings is to be preferred.
The heaviest concentration of the Hebrew words referring to foolishness is in the Wisdom literature, where the fool is constantly contrasted with the wise. The fool is not so much stupid (except when the context demands such a meaning) as immoral and pernicious. The fool’s problem is not so much intellectual as practical and spiritual