Classic KJV - Proverbs 17:16

This proverb asks, “Why pay for the skills to succeed, without a willingness to work?” The text reveals a major truth often overlooked in academia. The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (TWOT) puts it this way: “Why put a price (tuition) into the hand of a fool to get wisdom (an education) when you know he has no heart (motivation) in it?” A fool has not desire to apply his lessons.

Translation: price in the hand

The Hebrew word for “price” here, מחיר (meḥîr, pronounced “me-kheer”), is used only fifteen times in the Bible, but twice in Proverbs (see Proverbs 27:26). Meḥîr refers to a specific sum or source of money. David offered to buy a piece of property at a price in 2 Samuel 24:24.

In business, negotiations continue until a price is agreed. The expression “price in the hand” implies that the fool is ready to pay right now for instant wisdom. He wants to “get” wisdom, appear wise, and acquire the benefits of wisdom. He thinks you can throw money at it, but money can’t buy wisdom.

Classic Comment

K&D comment:

The fool, perhaps, even makes some endeavours, for he goes to the school of the wise, to follow out their admonitions and it costs him something, but all to no purpose, for he has no heart. By this it is not meant that knowledge, for which he pays his honorarium, remains, it may be, in his head, but goes not to his heart, and thus becomes an unfruitful theory.

Intelligent and Educated,  Fools

The text does not say “a fool has no mind.” The fool is not unintelligent. He’s not mentally challenged. He has his mental faculties. He is smart, and that’s the problem. He’s heavy on concepts and light on application. The fool grasps the concepts intellectually, but refuses to apply them practically.

The fool sees the benefits of wisdom in others, then wants to buy some for himself. So far so good. But no amount of money will compensate for apathy. In sports or music, a performer cannot buy the skill without passionate practice. Wisdom is practiced. Wisdom is the perfect marriage of concept (knowledge) and application (understanding) at the appropriate time.

The whole of Proverbs consistently associates the head with golden wisdom and the heart with silver understanding. So this text can be taken to ask: Why does a fool want to buy gold (wisdom) when he has no silver (understanding)?

Translation: Fool

The word for “fool” here, the Hebrew, כּסיל (kesîl, pronounced “kě-seel”), is used seventy times in the Bible. Except for three occurrences in Psalms, this noun appears only in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. It’s not the less common word for “fool” (nabal) used in Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 53:1, someone with an innate mental deficiency. As the TWOT explains, the kesîl is the more common fool from a propensity to make bad choices, a character deficiency.

If this fool doesn’t lack intelligence, what does he lack? What does the text mean, saying he has no sense? The NASB rendering the word, “sense,” is a little imprecise. “Sense” usually refers to the mind or intellect, but what this fool lacks is the desire and determination to apply his lessons. The Hebrew word translated “sense” here, לב (lēḇ, pronounced “lěv”), is used 600 times in 550 verses of the Bible and most frequently translated, “heart.” Lēḇ appears first in Genesis 6:5 where we read that “every intent of the thoughts of his [man’s] heart was only evil continually.” In its first use, it does not refer to the physical organ, but to the inner sense—often called our common sense.

Obedience Quotient (OQ)

The head apprehends the lesson—that’s someone’s IQ (Intelligence Quotient). The heart applies the lesson; that’s something else—something I call the OQ (Obedience Quotient). The OQ is the ratio of knowledge to application. If we know ten things that should be done, but act on only two, then our OQ is twenty percent. If we know only four things to be done, but act on two, then our OQ is much higher—fifty percent. It’s absolutely essential that we develop our OQ.

Head and heart must work together. No textbook can make up for their divorce. Wisdom can’t be bought with money, when the wannabe buyer will not obey. So, for many, education is useless. It’s not that they can’t grasp the concepts; they don’t have the desire to apply them. But we can train our desire, little by little, if we desire to desire. If we want to align our heart with our head, it’s “practice, practice, practice,” developing our OQ. If we don’t, money can’t compensate for stubborn stupidity!

Our Maker, Saviour, and Friend

After Jesus gave His greatest single message, the Sermon on the Mount, He told His followers that they would fall into one of two groups.

The first group listens, but takes no action. The second group applies the sermon to their personal lives. Both groups do well until the storms of life hit. The first is a group is destroyed, while the second survives the storm (Matthew 7:24-27).

Jesus also said, most importantly, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth,” Matthew 5:5. The meek are not weak; the meek are teachable.