Proverbs 17:16
New International Version
Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom, when they are not able to understand it?

New Living Translation
It is senseless to pay to educate a fool, since he has no heart for learning.

English Standard Version
Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom when he has no sense?

Berean Standard Bible
Why should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?

King James Bible
Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it?

New King James Version
Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom, Since he has no heart for it?

New American Standard Bible
Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, When he has no sense?

NASB 1995
Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, When he has no sense?

NASB 1977
Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, When he has no sense?

Legacy Standard Bible
Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to acquire wisdom, When he has no heart of wisdom?

Amplified Bible
Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, When he has no common sense or even a heart for it?

Christian Standard Bible
Why does a fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Why does a fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?

American Standard Version
Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, Seeing he hath no understanding?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Why does property go to a fool when he has no heart to possess wisdom?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Why has the fool wealth? for a senseless man will not be able to purchase wisdom. He that exalts his own house seeks ruin; and he that turns aside from instruction shall fall into mischief.

Contemporary English Version
Why should fools have money for an education when they refuse to learn?

Douay-Rheims Bible
What doth it avail a fool to have riches, seeing he cannot buy wisdom? He that maketh his house high, seeketh a downfall: and he that refuseth to learn, shall fall into evils.

English Revised Version
Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, seeing he hath no understanding?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom when he doesn't have a mind to grasp anything?

Good News Translation
It does a fool no good to spend money on an education, because he has no common sense.

International Standard Version
What is this? A fool has enough money to buy wisdom, but is senseless?

JPS Tanakh 1917
Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool To buy wisdom, seeing he hath no understanding?

Literal Standard Version
Why [is] this—a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, | And a heart—there is none?

Majority Standard Bible
Why should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?

New American Bible
Of what use is money in the hands of fools when they have no heart to acquire wisdom?

NET Bible
Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no intention of acquiring wisdom?

New Revised Standard Version
Why should fools have a price in hand to buy wisdom, when they have no mind to learn?

New Heart English Bible
Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, seeing he has no understanding?

Webster's Bible Translation
Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it?

World English Bible
Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, since he has no understanding?

Young's Literal Translation
Why is this -- a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, And a heart there is none?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Better a Dry Morsel in Quietness
15Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous—both are detestable to the LORD. 16Why should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom? 17A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.…

Cross References
Proverbs 23:23
Invest in truth and never sell it--in wisdom and instruction and understanding.

Proverbs 24:7
Wisdom is too high for a fool; he does not open his mouth in the meeting place.


Treasury of Scripture

Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he has no heart to it?

Proverbs 1:22,23
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? …

Proverbs 8:4,5
Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man…

Proverbs 9:4-6
Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, …

seeing

Proverbs 14:6
A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.

Proverbs 18:15
The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

Proverbs 21:25,26
The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour…

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Proverbs 17
1. Contrasts between the Righteous and the Wicked














(16) Wherefore is there a price . . .--He will still remain a fool, though he has paid high for instruction, if he has no capacity for taking it in.

Verse 16. - Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom? A fool thinks that there is a royal road to wisdom, and that it, like other things, is to be purchased with reentry. Vulgate, Quid prodest stulto habere divitias, cum sapientiam emere non possit? The rabbis in later time were not allowed to take fees for teaching; but it was customary to make offerings to seers and wise men, when their services were engaged or their advice was asked (see the case of Saul and Samuel, 1 Samuel 9:7, 8). The last clause gives the reason why it is useless for a fool to try to learn wisdom even at a large expenditure on teachers. Seeing he hath no heart to it; i.e. no capability for receiving it; his mental digestion cannot assimilate it. The heart, as we have already noticed, is regarded as the seat of the understanding. Thus the LXX., "Why doth a fool have wealth? for a man without heart cannot acquire wisdom." In the Gospel Christ calls his disciples "fools and slow of heart to believe what the prophets had written, and himself opened their mind (τὸν νοῦν), that they might understand the Scriptures" (Luke 24:25, 45). The Septuagint and Vulgate here introduce a distich derived from portions of vers. 19, 20, "He who raises his house high seeketh destruction; and he who perversely declineth from learning (ὁ δὲ σκολιάζων τοῦ μαθεῖν) shall fall into evils."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Why
לָמָּה־ (lām·māh-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

should the fool
כְּסִ֑יל (kə·sîl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3684: Stupid fellow, dullard, fool

have money
מְחִ֣יר (mə·ḥîr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4242: Price, payment, wages

in his hand
בְּיַד־ (bə·yaḏ-)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3027: A hand

with no
אָֽיִן׃ (’ā·yin)
Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

intention
וְלֶב־ (wə·leḇ-)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre

of buying
לִקְנ֖וֹת (liq·nō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7069: To erect, create, to procure, by purchase, to own

wisdom?
חָכְמָ֣ה (ḥāḵ·māh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2451: Wisdom


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 17:16 Why is there money in the hand (Prov. Pro Pr)
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