Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Though you grind a fool in a mortar, grinding them like grain with a pestle, you will not remove their folly from them. New Living Translation You cannot separate fools from their foolishness, even though you grind them like grain with mortar and pestle. English Standard Version Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, yet his folly will not depart from him. Berean Standard Bible Though you grind a fool like grain with mortar and a pestle, yet his folly will not depart from him. King James Bible Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him. New King James Version Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, Yet his foolishness will not depart from him. New American Standard Bible Though you pound the fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, His foolishness still will not leave him. NASB 1995 Though you pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, Yet his foolishness will not depart from him. NASB 1977 Though you pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, Yet his folly will not depart from him. Legacy Standard Bible Though you pound an ignorant fool in a mortar with a pestle in the midst of crushed grain, His folly will not turn aside from him. Amplified Bible Even though you pound a [hardened, arrogant] fool [who rejects wisdom] in a mortar with a pestle like grain, Yet his foolishness will not leave him. Christian Standard Bible Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, you will not separate his foolishness from him. Holman Christian Standard Bible Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, you will not separate his foolishness from him. American Standard Version Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with bruised grain, Yet will not his foolishness depart from him. Contemporary English Version No matter how hard you beat a fool, you can't pound out the foolishness. English Revised Version Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar with a pestle among bruised corn, yet will not his foolishness depart from him. GOD'S WORD® Translation If you crush a stubborn fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, [even then] his stupidity will not leave him. Good News Translation Even if you beat fools half to death, you still can't beat their foolishness out of them. International Standard Version Though you crush a fool in a mortar and pestle as someone might crush grain, his stupidity still won't leave him. Majority Standard Bible Though you grind a fool like grain with mortar and a pestle, yet his folly will not depart from him. NET Bible If you should pound the fool in the mortar among the grain with the pestle, his foolishness would not depart from him. New Heart English Bible Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, yet his foolishness will not be removed from him. Webster's Bible Translation Though thou shouldst bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet his foolishness will not depart from him. World English Bible Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, yet his foolishness will not be removed from him. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionIf you beat the foolish in a mortar, "" Among washed things—with a pestle, "" His folly does not turn aside from off him. Young's Literal Translation If thou dost beat the foolish in a mortar, Among washed things -- with a pestle, His folly turneth not aside from off him. Smith's Literal Translation If thou shalt pound the foolish in a mortar in the midst of the grain with a pestle, thou shalt not remove from him his folly. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleThough thou shouldst bray a fool in the mortar, as when a pestle striketh upon sodden barley, his folly would not be taken from him. Catholic Public Domain Version Even if you were to crush the foolish with a mortar, as when a pestle strikes over pearled barley, his foolishness would not be taken from him. New American Bible Though you pound fools with a pestle, their folly never leaves them. New Revised Standard Version Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, but the folly will not be driven out. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleThough you should beat a fool in the midst of an assembly, you will not do him any good, nor will you cause his foolishness to depart from him. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated If you strike a fool in the assembly, you do not help him, neither do you remove his foolishness. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar with a pestle among groats, Yet will not his foolishness depart from him. Brenton Septuagint Translation Though thou scourge a fool, disgracing him in the midst of the council, thou wilt still in no wise remove his folly from him. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Do not Boast about Tomorrow…21A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but a man is tested by the praise accorded him. 22Though you grind a fool like grain with mortar and a pestle, yet his folly will not depart from him. 23Be sure to know the state of your flocks, and pay close attention to your herds;… Cross References Jeremiah 13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Neither are you able to do good—you who are accustomed to doing evil. Matthew 7:6 Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. Isaiah 1:5-6 Why do you want more beatings? Why do you keep rebelling? Your head has a massive wound, and your whole heart is afflicted. / From the sole of your foot to the top of your head, there is no soundness—only wounds and welts and festering sores neither cleansed nor bandaged nor soothed with oil. 2 Peter 2:22 Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.” Ecclesiastes 9:3 This is an evil in everything that is done under the sun: There is one fate for everyone. Furthermore, the hearts of men are full of evil and madness while they are alive, and afterward they join the dead. Matthew 13:15 For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’ Isaiah 26:10 Though grace is shown to the wicked man, he does not learn righteousness. In the land of righteousness he acts unjustly and fails to see the majesty of the LORD. Romans 1:28-32 Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. / They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, / slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful. They invent new forms of evil; they disobey their parents. ... Jeremiah 5:3 O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent. Hebrews 6:4-6 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, / who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age— / and then have fallen away—to be restored to repentance, because they themselves are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to open shame. Ezekiel 3:7 But the house of Israel will be unwilling to listen to you, since they are unwilling to listen to Me. For the whole house of Israel is hard-headed and hard-hearted. 2 Timothy 3:7-8 who are always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. / Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith. Psalm 58:3-5 The wicked are estranged from the womb; the liars go astray from birth. / Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like a cobra that shuts its ears, / refusing to hear the tune of the charmer who skillfully weaves his spell. John 12:40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.” Zechariah 7:11-12 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing. / They made their hearts like flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD of Hosts had sent by His Spirit through the earlier prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of Hosts. Treasury of Scripture Though you should bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him. Proverbs 23:25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice. Exodus 12:30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. Exodus 14:5 And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? Jump to Previous Beat Bray Bruised Crush Crushed Depart Folly Fool Foolish Foolishness Grain Grind Grinding Groats Hammer Mortar Pound Remove Removed Shouldest Shouldst Turneth Washed Ways WheatJump to Next Beat Bray Bruised Crush Crushed Depart Folly Fool Foolish Foolishness Grain Grind Grinding Groats Hammer Mortar Pound Remove Removed Shouldest Shouldst Turneth Washed Ways WheatProverbs 27 1. observations of self love5. of true love 11. of care to avoid offenses 23. and of the household care Though you grind a fool like grain with mortar and a pestle This phrase uses the imagery of grinding grain, a common practice in ancient agrarian societies, to illustrate the futility of trying to change a fool's nature through external pressure or punishment. The mortar and pestle were essential tools in ancient Israel for preparing food, symbolizing thoroughness and effort. The fool, in biblical terms, is someone who rejects wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:7). This imagery suggests that no amount of external force can change the inherent nature of a fool, emphasizing the deep-seated nature of folly. The Bible often contrasts the wise and the foolish, highlighting that wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10). yet his folly will not depart from him Persons / Places / Events 1. FoolIn the context of Proverbs, a fool is someone who rejects wisdom and instruction, often characterized by stubbornness and a lack of moral insight. 2. Mortar and Pestle These are tools used for grinding substances into powder. In this proverb, they symbolize intense effort or pressure applied to change someone. 3. Grain Represents something valuable and useful, contrasting with the fool's foolishness, which is resistant to change. Teaching Points The Intractability of FoolishnessThis proverb teaches that foolishness is deeply ingrained and not easily removed, even with significant effort. It serves as a warning against the futility of trying to change someone who is not open to wisdom. The Importance of Wisdom The contrast between the fool and the wise person is a recurring theme in Proverbs. This verse underscores the value of seeking wisdom and being open to instruction. Recognizing Limits in Relationships In dealing with others, it's important to recognize when efforts to help or change someone are unproductive. This calls for discernment and sometimes stepping back to allow God to work in their hearts. Self-Reflection While the focus is on the fool, this verse also invites self-examination. Are there areas in our own lives where we resist wisdom or correction? Prayer for Transformation Since human effort alone cannot change a fool, prayer becomes essential. We should pray for God’s intervention in the lives of those who are resistant to change.(22) Though thou shouldest bray (i.e., pound) a fool (a self-willed, headstrong person) in a mortar among wheat with a pestle.--This would separate completely the husks from the wheat; but obstinacy has become a part of such a man's nature, and cannot be got rid of even by such violent measures.Verse 22. - Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle. "To bray" is to pound or beat small. "Wheat," רִיפות, riphoth (only in 2 Samuel 17:19), "bruised corn." Vulgate, In pila quasi ptisanas (barley groats) feriente; Aquila and Theodotion, Ἐν μέσῳ ἐμπτισσομένων "In the midst of grains of corn being pounded." The LXX., reading, differently, has, "Though thou scourge a fool, disgracing him (ἐν μεσῳ συνεδρίου) in the midst of the congregation." Of course, the process of separating the husks from the corn by the use of pestle and mortar is much more delicate and careful than threshing in the usual clumsy way; hence is expressed the idea that the most elaborate pains are wasted on the incorrigible fool (see on Proverbs 1:20). His foolishness will not depart from him. An obstinate, self-willed, unprincipled man cannot be reformed by any means; his folly has become a second nature, and is not to be eliminated by any teaching, discipline, or severity. There is, too, a judicial blindness, when, after repeated warnings wilfully rejected and scorned, the sinner is left to himself, given over to a reprobate mind "Whoso teacheth a fool," Siracides pronounces, "is as one that glueth a potsherd together, and as he that waketh one from a sound sleep" (Ecclus. 22:7). Again, "The inner parts of a fool are like a broken vessel, and he will hold no knowledge as long as he liveth" (Ecclus. 21:14). In Turkey, we are told, great criminals were beaten to pieces in huge mortars of iron, in which they usually pounded rice. "You cannot straighten a dog's tail, try as you may," says a Telugu maxim (Lane). There is a saying of Schiller's which is quite proverbial, "Heaven and earth fight in vain against a dunce." Horace, 'Epist.,' 1:10, 24 - "Naturam expellas furca, tamen usque recurret." Juvenal, 'Sat.,' 13:239 - "Tamen ad mores natura recurrit Hebrew Thoughאִ֥ם (’im) Conjunction Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not you grind תִּכְתּֽוֹשׁ־ (tiḵ·tō·wōš-) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 3806: To pound, pound fine, bray a fool הָאֱוִ֨יל ׀ (hā·’ĕ·wîl) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 191: Foolish in a mortar בַּֽמַּכְתֵּ֡שׁ (bam·maḵ·têš) Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 4388: A mortar, a socket with a pestle בַּֽעֱלִ֑י (ba·‘ĕ·lî) Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 5940: A pestle along with בְּת֣וֹךְ (bə·ṯō·wḵ) Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 8432: A bisection, the centre grain, הָ֭רִיפוֹת (hā·rî·p̄ō·wṯ) Article | Noun - feminine plural Strong's 7383: Perhaps grain [yet] his folly אִוַּלְתּֽוֹ׃ (’iw·wal·tōw) Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 200: Silliness will not לֹא־ (lō-) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no depart תָס֥וּר (ṯā·sūr) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular Strong's 5493: To turn aside from him. מֵ֝עָלָ֗יו (mê·‘ā·lāw) Preposition-m | third person masculine singular Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against Links Proverbs 27:22 NIVProverbs 27:22 NLT Proverbs 27:22 ESV Proverbs 27:22 NASB Proverbs 27:22 KJV Proverbs 27:22 BibleApps.com Proverbs 27:22 Biblia Paralela Proverbs 27:22 Chinese Bible Proverbs 27:22 French Bible Proverbs 27:22 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Proverbs 27:22 Though you grind a fool (Prov. 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