17 Undeniable Ways to be a Fool According to the Bible

This is how to be a fool according to the bible (so you don’t have to be one).

How to be a fool?

No one of us wants to be counted as a fool.

However, how many of us have unknowingly become one?

Are there times when we become not as wise, but fools?

Thankfully, the Bible tells us how we can be a fool – not because God wants us to be fools, but because He wants us to avoid the ways of the fools.

In God’s great mercy, love, and grace, He wants us to be wise. He wants us to live a blessed and abundant life and one way to do that is to avoid foolishness.

In this post, let me share with you 17 different ways you can be a fool straight from the pages of your Bible.

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Point no. 1: A fool persecutes a righteous man

Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David. For I will harm you no more, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Indeed I have played the fool and erred exceedingly.” (I Samuel 26:21).

Saul, who sought to kill the man next to the throne, realized that he had been a fool. David was given a chance to kill Saul, but he didn’t hurt him.

David showed Saul that he didn’t mean any harm to God’s anointed king. That’s the time when Saul realized that he became a fool for persecuting a righteous man like David.

 Point no. 2: A fool denies God’s existence

The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good (Psalm 14:1, compare with Psalm 53:1).

It is foolishness to deny God’s existence.

We are surrounded by miracles in life and the proofs of God’s existence are written in the entire universe.

In reality, the problem is not the lack of proof, but the willingness to ignore and deny the fact of God’s existence.

(To learn more, read the 7 proofs of God’s existence. Click HERE.)

Point no. 3: A fool does not know Yahweh’s greatness

O Lord, how great are Your works!
Your thoughts are very deep.
A senseless man does not know,
Nor does a fool understand this (Psalm 92:5-6).

The Almighty’s glory is beyond our comprehension.

We can’t even start to wrap around our minds around His greatness.

His works are great that we can’t help but just be in awe and amazed. His thoughts are so deep that all we can do is surrender our will and life in His loving hands.

A fool does not appreciate God’s greatness nor acknowledges God’s role in his life.

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Point no. 4: A fool gives in to the temptation of an immoral woman

With her enticing speech she caused him to yield,
With her flattering lips she seduced him.
Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks,
Till an arrow struck his liver.
As a bird hastens to the snare,
He did not know it would cost his life (Proverbs 7:21-23).

A fool easily gives in to sexual temptation. He is not loyal to his spouse. A fool does not recognize how dangerous it is to commit sin with an immoral woman and that’s why he is a fool!

Point no. 5: A fool is known by his foolish words

The wise in heart will receive commands,
But a prating fool will fall (Proverbs 10:8, compare with 10:10).

A prating fool is someone who talks a lot with no sense. R. Wardlaw has this to say about a prating fool:

The self-conceited are generally superficial. There is much talk and little substance; words without sense; plenty of tongue, but a lack of wit. Light matter floats on the surface, and appears to all; what is solid and precious lies at the bottom. The foam is on the face of the waters; the pearl is below.

Other verses that speak of the fool’s mouth include:

For a dream comes through much activity,
And a fool’s voice is known by his many words (Ecclesiastes 5:3).

The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious,
But the lips of a fool shall swallow him up;
The words of his mouth begin with foolishness,
And the end of his talk is raving madness.
A fool also multiplies words.
No man knows what is to be;
Who can tell him what will be after him?
The labor of fools wearies them,
For they do not even know how to go to the city (Ecc. 10:12-14)!

Point no. 6: A fool utters slander

Whoever hides hatred has lying lips,
And whoever spreads slander is a fool (Proverbs 10:18).

A fool does not think about the words he is going to say. Thus, it is no wonder that he spreads slander like it is nothing. He utters malicious gossips and false news about a person and destroys someone’s reputation.

Point no. 7: A fool walks in darkness

The wise man’s eyes are in his head,
But the fool walks in darkness (Ecc. 2:14).

A fool does not know where to go. There is no light in his path.

He can’t see what is in front of him and what is ahead of him. A fool lacks planning and therefore, stumbles in darkness.

Not only that, but a fool takes the path of darkness. Because of this, he begins to learn the way of darkness and will eventually become evil himself.

That’s why we read in Proverbs 10:23:

To do evil is like sport to a fool,
But a man of understanding has wisdom.

A fool is an evil person who does not have a conscience anymore. Evil is just natural for him to do.

Point no. 8: A fool is a servant to the wise

He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind,
And the fool will be servant to the wise of heart (Proverbs 11:29).

If you are a fool and would not change, you will eventually lose your wealth and become a servant to the people who have the right wisdom to handle their posterity.

Point no. 9: A fool despises instructions

A fool despises his father’s instruction,
But he who receives correction is prudent (Proverbs 15:5).

Rebuke is more effective for a wise man
Than a hundred blows on a fool (Proverbs 17:10).

A fool has no delight in understanding,
But in expressing his own heart (Proverbs 18:2).

As a dog returns to his own vomit,
So a fool repeats his folly (Proverbs 26:11).

A fool does not like correction. In fact, he believes that he is always right to the point that he doesn’t listen to anyone.

Even the instructions of his father, a fool will despise. How much more would he not heed the instruction of others?

The fool won’t even respond to any punishment. Even if he is punished for his foolishness, he won’t change any more.

Because the fool does not learn from his mistakes nor accept correction, he is doomed to repeat the same mistake. Thus, King Solomon likened a fool to a dog who returns to his own vomit!

Point no. 10: A fool is ruled by his emotions

A fool’s wrath is known at once,
But a prudent man covers shame (Proverbs 12:16).

A stone is heavy and sand is weighty,
But a fool’s wrath is heavier than both of them (Proverbs 27:3).

When a fool is angry, he can’t control himself. He doesn’t restrain himself, but rather will go all out. If he is angry, then he is angry. He doesn’t think twice to act upon his anger and will not consider its consequences.

A fool vents all his feelings,
But a wise man holds them back (Proverbs 29:11).

In this verse, we could also see that a fool would vent all his feelings. He won’t even think anymore how this would affect him and others.

Point no. 11: A fool is reckless and careless

Every prudent man acts with knowledge,
But a fool lays open his folly (Proverbs 13:16).

A wise man fears and departs from evil,
But a fool rages and is self-confident (Proverbs 14:16).

A fool’s lips enter into contention,
And his mouth calls for blows.
A fool’s mouth is his destruction,
And his lips are the snare of his soul (Proverbs 18:6-7).

It is honorable for a man to stop striving,
Since any fool can start a quarrel (Proverbs 20:3).

A fool doesn’t think about what he should say and do. A foolish person finds it hard to hide his folly.

Unlike the wise who, upon seeing danger or evil, a fool would dive into it with no hesitation. Not only that, because of his foolishness, he acts with full confidence, not knowing that the end of his decision is destruction.

Because the fool is reckless, he often gets involved in trouble. His words bring him into contention. His lips have become a snare to his soul!

Point no. 12: A fool does not desire wisdom

Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom,
Since he has no heart for it (Proverbs 17:16)?

Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding,
But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth (Proverbs 17:24).

Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
For he will despise the wisdom of your words (Proverbs 23:9).

Wisdom is too lofty for a fool;
He does not open his mouth in the gate (Proverbs 24:7).

As you can see, even if you bring wisdom in front of a fool, he won’t receive it. He won’t even run after it. He doesn’t desire wisdom and because of this, he stays as a fool.

Point no. 13: A fool brings sorrow to his family

He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow,
And the father of a fool has no joy (Proverbs 17:21).

It is sad but it is the reality. A fool does not only affect his life, but also the life of those around him. He brings sorrow to his family and makes his parents’ heart heavy.

Point no. 14: A fool does not know when to be silent

Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace;
When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive (Proverbs 17:28).

It is good to note that even if a fool is a fool, he can still be wise when he knows when to speak and to be silent. If a fool doesn’t know how to bridle his tongue, catastrophe happens.

Point no. 15: A fool is right in his own eyes

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
But he who heeds counsel is wise (Proverbs 12:15).

He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,
But whoever walks wisely will be delivered (Proverbs 28:26).

A fool does not believe anyone but himself. He feels so wise in his own eyes that he thinks that he is always right and everyone else is wrong. He has his own version of the world and if reality contradicts it, he would rather stick to his own narrative.

Point no. 16: A fool is lazy

The fool folds his hands
And consumes his own flesh (Ecc. 4:5).

If you are lazy, then you are a fool. The Bible tells us to be diligent in our job, that we must give our best in everything that we do.

Because the fool is lazy, he will live in poverty and will eventually, become a slave to the wise.

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Point no. 17: A fool lays treasure for himself

But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. (Luke 12:20-21).

In Luke 12:13-31, you will read the parable of the rich fool.

The fool’s land was able to yield plenty of harvest. Instead of being a blessing to others, he became selfish. He instead kept everything to himself by building a bigger barn.

However, he forgot something: he doesn’t hold his life.

He died one evening and left his wealth to the living. Now, he is dead, he simply lost the opportunity to do good things while he was still alive.

A fool might think that he is wise when he keeps everything and does not share. But in the end, having this foolish mindset will only leave you spiritually poor and destitute.

Final words

These are the 17 ways for you to be a fool according to the Bible. If you don’t want to be counted a fool, make sure you remember these points and try to avoid them.

Sometimes, the best way to be wise is to simply avoid being a fool.

What about you? Do you have anything to add to our list? Let me know by leaving a comment below!

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