I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Proverbs 25-28.

    Like the rest of Proverbs, today’s passage contains a collection of proverbs which are not directly connected to each other. It differs from earlier portions by being composed of both short and long proverbs. However, like the earlier portions, many of these proverbs touch on the same things from varying perspectives. For example, the writer comes back again and again to the idea that gossiping is a bad idea. He points out that there are two types of gossip: sharing other people’s secrets and passing on “news” intended to make others look bad. The latter may include sharing things that you know to be untrue, which is especially damaging. If you become known as a gossip, no one will trust you with important information. The harm to yourself, and others, will be greater than the temporary benefit from being seen as “being in the know”.

    There are two proverbs right after each other which appear to be contradictory, but taken together reveal an important truth.

Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools,
or you will become as foolish as they are.
Be sure to answer the foolish arguments of fools,
or they will become wise in their own estimation.

So, what do they mean? The first one warns us against getting caught up in trying to convince a fool of their foolishness. The second warns us to make sure that we show the fool that we see their arguments as foolish. Or, to put it another way, do not let yourself become emotionally involved in your arguments. If you allow your emotions to take over your argument, you will stop applying logic to it and will allow yourself to become more concerned with winning the argument than finding the right answer to the dispute. However, do not allow a fool to think that you agree with their foolishness.