Sick Dogs and Silly Fools: Proverbs 26:11 by Dr. Rod Mattoon

Scripture

• Proverbs 26:11

About this sermon

Solomon warned, “As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly” (Proverbs 26:11). The second “returneth” in this verse is from the root word shanah {shaw-naw'}. The verb form for this word (Qal Active Participle) means “to repeat, to change by repeating, to do again, to go over something again and again.” The verb form intensifies the verse. What the fool does is a habit just like the dog. He habitually returns to his folly. It’s not an accident. It is a lifestyle, not a one-time mistake. He is a repeat offender who is like a man who keeps digging the same grave deeper. The second Hebrew word is used because the repetition is by CHOICE, not by instinct. The fool is not returning because he must, but because he wills. That is a big difference. The fool returns because he loves his folly. In Bible days, the word shanah was used to redo or rehearse an action, to do something again despite knowing the outcome, or to repeat instructions. The fool’s repetition is intentional. He knows what he is doing. He thinks about it and then does it. He knows what happened the last time. He remembers the consequences, but STILL, STILL, he returns and repeats his folly again. He repeats what has already ruined him. This is deliberate repetition. He is not ignorant. He is habitual, predictable, and unteachable, like a man who covers his ears in the middle of an alarm. The fool repeats his mistakes over and again because he does not learn any lessons from bad decisions. Let me ask, “Does this describe you?” In this message, we examine ten lessons applications that come from the Hebrew word shanah. This message was preached on Wednesday night, December 17, 2025, at Lincoln Land Baptist Church.

Topics

• Bible Study
• Wisdom