Chapter Summary

Warnings and Instructions.

Discussion Questions for Proverbs, Chapter 26

1. Think about how commonly horses are whipped or donkeys bridled. What is the point of these? How is the fool's "tool" similar? How can you prevent yourself from being in a similar place as him?
2. Reflecting on cutting off one's feet and drinking violence, how does trusting a fool result in destructive consequences? How do you know if you can trust a person?
3. What is the imagery in verses 7 and 9 trying to portray? Aren't these proverbs meant to turn people to make wise decisions? Why would a proverb be so useless or destructive like this for a fool?
4. How is a person being "wise in his own eyes" (verses 12 and 16, CSB) a bad thing? What examples from the Bible can you find? What examples do you think about in your own life?
5. How have you returned to your own vomit like in verse 11? What steps can you take to learn from your mistakes instead of repeating them? How can you encourage a brother or sister who keeps repeating mistakes?
6. Have you ever grabbed a dog by the ears? Probably not. What do you think would happen? As Christians, we should promote peace even among unbelievers, so how would you approach a situation like verse 17?
7. What is the remedy for conflict resolution? What did Jesus have to say about conflicts? Does this mirror your life? Why or why not?
8. Why is the person who deceives and says, "I was only joking," like tossing firebrands, arrows, and death? When does joking about something become sinful?
9. Why does the person digging a pit fall into it? How does planning wickedness (versus stumbling towards it) bring further judgement?
10. Reflect on the fool and the the wise in this chapter. In what ways do you need to change your life to be more like the wise man?

Key Words/Phrase

Proverbs, v. 1 (25:1).

Characters

God.

Strong Verse(s)

12, 20, 27.