Proverbs 26
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The whole Book of Proverbs in the Leningrad Codex (1008 C.E.) from an old fascimile edition.
Book	Book of Proverbs
Category	Ketuvim
Christian Bible part	Old Testament
Order in the Christian part	21

Proverbs 26 is the 26th chapter of the Book of Proverbs in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.^[1][2] The book is a compilation of several wisdom literature collections, with the heading in 1:1 may be intended to regard Solomon as the traditional author of the whole book, but the dates of the individual collections are difficult to determine, and the book probably obtained its final shape in the post-exilic period.^[3] This chapter is the last part of the fifth collection of the book,^[4] so-called "the Second Solomonic Collection."^[5]

Text

The original text is written in Hebrew language. This chapter is divided into 28 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes the Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008).^[6]

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BC; some extant ancient manuscripts of this version include Codex Vaticanus (B; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G))}$^B; 4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (S; BHK: ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G))}$^S; 4th century), and Codex Alexandrinus (A; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G))}$^A; 5th century).^[7]

Analysis

This chapter belongs to a further collection of Solomonic proverbs, transmitted and edited by royal scribes during the reign of Hezekiah, comprising Proverbs 25–29.^[8] Based on differences in style and subject-matter there could be two originally separate collections:^[8]

1. Proverbs 25–27: characterized by many similes and the 'earthy' tone
2. Proverbs 28–29: characterized by many antithetical sayings and the predominantly 'moral and religious' tone (cf. Proverbs 10–15)

The first twelve verses of this chapter, except verse 2, "Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, so a curse without cause shall not alight",^[9] form a series of sayings on the 'fool',^[8] so sometimes are called “the Book of Fools”.^[10]

Verse 1

Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,

so honor is not fitting for a fool.^[11]

• "Honor": may likely refer to "respect, external recognition of worth, accolades, advancement to high position", etc., all of which would be 'out of place with a fool'.^[12]

Verse 17

He who passes by and meddles with strife not belonging to him

is like one who takes a dog by the ears.^[13]

• "Meddles" from the Hebrew word מִתְעַבֵּר, mitʿabber, meaning "to put oneself in a fury" or "become furious"; the Latin version apparently assumed the verb was עָרַב, ʿarav, which has th sense of “meddle”.^[14]