As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool.
Giving honor to a fool is like tying a stone into a sling, it defeats the whole purpose.
The writer is saying that honoring someone who lacks wisdom is counterproductive and wasteful, like making a weapon that can't work properly.
📚 Historical Context
In ancient Israel, slings were common weapons used for hunting and warfare, as seen in the story of David defeating Goliath with one. This proverb uses the metaphor of binding a stone in a sling improperly, which would make it ineffective or even dangerous, to illustrate the futility of giving honor to a fool in a culture that highly valued wisdom and discernment. Such wisdom sayings in Proverbs were part of everyday teaching to guide people in righteous living.
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