Proverbs 27 22

Proverbs 27:22 kjv

Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

Proverbs 27:22 nkjv

Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, Yet his foolishness will not depart from him.

Proverbs 27:22 niv

Though you grind a fool in a mortar, grinding them like grain with a pestle, you will not remove their folly from them.

Proverbs 27:22 esv

Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, yet his folly will not depart from him.

Proverbs 27:22 nlt

You cannot separate fools from their foolishness,
even though you grind them like grain with mortar and pestle.

Proverbs 27 verses

Proverbs 27 22 Meaning

Proverbs 27:22 declares that even extreme, violent, and relentless measures cannot remove ingrained foolishness from a fool. It highlights the deeply entrenched and stubborn nature of certain types of folly, which resists all external attempts at correction or purification, much like grinding grain extensively does not alter the fundamental character of a person.

Proverbs 27 22 Context

Proverbs 27 falls within a collection of miscellaneous proverbs (Prov 25-29) often attributed to King Solomon, copied and compiled by the men of Hezekiah. This chapter contains observations about a variety of life situations, including neighborly relations, friendship, work ethic, self-control, and character. Verse 22 specifically addresses the persistent nature of a "fool" ('evil), contrasting their hardened disposition with those who can be corrected. The verse's imagery of a mortar and pestle speaks to a common domestic practice in ancient Israel, emphasizing extreme, thorough physical effort. It fits the overarching theme of Proverbs, which distinguishes between the wise, the simple, and various types of fools, highlighting the inherent resistance to instruction found in some.

Proverbs 27 22 Word analysis

• Though you grind: Hebrew: tikhtosh (תִּכְתּוֹשׁ), from the root katash, meaning "to beat, pound, crush." This signifies an incredibly strenuous, repeated, and violent effort, implying extreme discipline or even suffering inflicted upon the subject. It is an action designed for complete pulverization.

• a fool: Hebrew: 'evil (אֱוִיל). This is a distinct type of fool in Proverbs, differing from kesil (sluggish, dull-witted, lacking discretion) or leitz (scoffer, mocker, arrogant). The 'evil is one whose folly stems from a stubborn, hardened heart, characterized by moral obtuseness and an active disdain for wisdom and instruction. They are beyond persuasion, having willfully rejected knowledge (Prov 1:7).

• in a mortar: Hebrew: bammakhtesh (בַּמַּכְתֵּשׁ). A heavy stone or wooden vessel used for grinding grains, spices, or medicines. The imagery is of confinement within a powerful processing tool.

• with a pestle: Hebrew: ba'eli (בָּעֱלִי). The club-like tool used for pounding within the mortar. It symbolizes the intense, crushing force applied.

• along with crushed grain: Hebrew: karifot (כַּרִיפוֹת), referring to "coarsely crushed grain" or perhaps "husked grain." This is the common, expected material for grinding. The point is not that the fool becomes grain, but that even when subjected to the same intense, comprehensive grinding process designed for transforming actual material, their inherent folly remains unaffected. It highlights the incongruity and futility of the effort.

• yet his folly: Hebrew: 'iwwalto (אִוַּלְתּוֹ), "his foolishness, his stupidity, his wickedness." This is not just a mistake or lack of knowledge, but an ingrained moral defect, a persistent condition of the heart that drives foolish behavior.

• will not depart from him: Hebrew: lo'-tasur mimennu (לֹא־תָסוּר מִמֶּנּוּ). Emphatic negation: "will certainly not turn aside/remove from him." It conveys permanence, a deep-seated resistance to change that is beyond external or mechanical means of eradication. It suggests an unbreakable bond between the fool and their folly.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle": This entire phrase presents a hyperbolic image of extreme, relentless effort. It symbolizes the most rigorous forms of discipline, correction, or even punishment imaginable. The implication is that if this level of intervention cannot change the fool, then nothing external can.
  • "along with crushed grain": This detail further intensifies the imagery. It puts the fool in the context of something typically broken down and transformed by this process. The folly is so fundamental that it resists even the most basic physical process of alteration that other materials undergo. It signifies that even attempts to homogenize or normalize a fool into productive society will fail if their folly persists.
  • "yet his folly will not depart from him": This concluding phrase delivers the core message: the inherent nature of the 'evil type of fool is immutable by external force. It underlines the futility of human effort in attempting to reform a heart unwilling to change, implying that the issue lies not in the method of correction, but in the internal disposition.

Proverbs 27 22 Bonus section

The Hebrew concept of the "fool" ('evil) in Proverbs is less about intellectual deficiency and more about moral stubbornness and a refusal to acknowledge or apply God's wisdom. This verse highlights that for such an individual, external "re-education" is fruitless because the core issue is not a lack of information or discipline, but a profound willfulness rooted in the heart. The very identity of the 'evil fool is intertwined with their folly. They despise wisdom (Prov 1:7) and have chosen a path divergent from God's instruction, making them unresponsive to methods that might benefit others. This principle points to the limit of human intervention and emphasizes the spiritual dimension of folly, implying that for ultimate freedom from such a deep-seated nature, divine intervention for a "new heart" is necessary.

Proverbs 27 22 Commentary

Proverbs 27:22 uses a striking and vivid hyperbole to convey a profound truth about human nature, specifically the 'evil fool. The imagery of grinding a person in a mortar, a process intended for pulverizing hard grain, underscores the utter futility of trying to force internal transformation through external means, no matter how severe. This fool is not merely ignorant or naive, but has a fundamental, deeply ingrained perversity of character—a chosen spiritual obtuseness—that resists even the most violent or comprehensive attempts at re-education or behavioral modification. The verse teaches that while external discipline can affect behavior in some, it cannot change a heart that is stubbornly entrenched in folly. True departure from such folly requires a profound internal shift, often indicative of a spiritual transformation beyond human capacity to achieve alone. This implies that only God's regenerative work can truly eradicate such deep-seated sin and foolishness from the heart.