Text: “Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the good sense of your words” (Pr 23:9).

This line is from the wisdom literature in Scripture; it’s Proverbs 23:9 from the pen of Solomon. He’s instructing his son in wisdom. And the thrust of wisdom is that it is rooted in the fear of the Lord, and that reverential fear drives the wise person in the right and wise way to live in this world.

The matter addressed in this verse is the issue of when to speak and when to remain silent. Part of making the wise decision comes in knowing one’s audience.

Who is the person that Solomon calls “a fool” (v. 9a)? Does the person actually want the truth? It brings to mind the famous episode of Jack Nicholson in the film A Few Good Men, when Nicholson hollered from the stand in the courtroom, “You can’t handle the truth!”

This verse from Proverbs 23:9 is not so much about being unable to endure the truth; it is rather about the difference between teachability and unteachability. The “fool” is unteachable, not in the sense that he cannot understand but rather that he refuses to understand. He does not want the truth, because it exposes him as a fool. It is a matter of his obstinacy and recalcitrance. It is not a fault in his intellect but sin holding sway over his heart, soul, and affections.

Jesus of course taught the same thing in the Gospels. “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you” (Mt 7:6). The teaching is overt: fools do not value wisdom or truth. They insist upon doing things their way. They are, to use the Bible’s language, fools.

Knowing the difference between the foolish and the wise is integral to effective communication. The wise among us know to distinguish between the two types, when to speak and when just to remain silent.