ABSTRACT
Although Prov 26:4 says that one should not answer a fool, the immediately following verse advises the opposite. This article suggests that if one thinks through all of the different aspects of the issue raised by these two verses and their immediate context, the logical solution is to follow v. 5 and answer the fool. This is not only good for the fool but also benefits the whole society. This does not mean, however, that v. 4 is mistaken when it claims that by answering a fool one becomes a fool. Nonetheless, becoming a fool is not an entirely negative development. It serves the spiritual needs of the one who answers a(nother) fool. The second half of this article compares this interpretation with the postbiblical "fool for Christ" tradition, then discusses some hermeneutical questions raised by the interpretation.
