The simple believes everything,
but the prudent gives thought to his steps.
One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil,
but a fool is reckless and careless.
A man of quick temper acts foolishly,
and a man of evil devices is hated.
The simple inherit folly,
but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
The evil bow down before the good,
the wicked at the gates of the righteous.Proverbs 14:15-19
Three different kinds of foolishness are indicated in 15-17 – gullibility (15), over-confident rashness (16), and irascibility (17). The gullible man is taken in by anybody; he has no discernment, and is unable to distinguish between what is gold and what merely glitters. This is not only a sad, but also a risky, state to be in, and can spell real trouble in life. The over-confident is well exemplified in the picture we have in the gospels of Simon Peter, rash, impulsive and not knowing his own heart and his own weakness, and inevitably coming to grief. The weakness of the third man in 17 is that temper flares suddenly and easily and sometimes unpredictably - surely an ominous sign, and a mark of foolishness. The end result of wisdom and folly is described in 18 and 19. 18a does not mean that the folly of the simple is something that is handed down from generation to generation, but simply that he heaps up folly for himself by his actions and attitude.19 seems to point forward to an ultimate vindication of the good, with the evil having to admit and concede that the good are right and righteous, and that they are vindicated before God. This is the ultimate assurance and peace of the righteous: the universe is built on moral principles, and therefore moral categories must in the end prevail. But even in the interim the sheer worth of goodness elicits respect, however reluctant, from those who are exposed to it, even when they have little intention of embracing it. In spite of themselves, they recognise it for what it is.