Proverbs 26 · Verse 10

Proverbs 26:10

The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.

Proverbs 26:10, King James Version

Proverbs 26:10 in other translations

BSB	Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or passerby.
WEB	As an archer who wounds all, so is he who hires a fool or he who hires those who pass by.
ASV	As an archer that woundeth all, So is he that hireth a fool and he that hireth them that pass by.
YLT	Great is the Former of all, And He is rewarding a fool, And is rewarding transgressors.
DARBY	A master roughly worketh every one: he both hireth the fool and hireth passers-by.
BBE	Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.
Webster	The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.

What does Proverbs 26:10 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

10. Various versions of this are proposed (compare Margin). Better perhaps--"Much He injures (or literally, "wounds") all who reward," &c., that is, society is injured by encouraging evil men. transgressors--may be rendered "vagrants." The word "God" is improperly supplied.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 10 The great God that formed all things - Or, A great man grieveth all, and he hireth the fool, he hireth also transgressors, where this verse is very differently translated. I shall add that of Coverdale: "A man of experience discerneth all thinges well: but whoso hyreth a foole, hyreth soch one as wyl take no hede." The רב rab may mean either the great God, or a great man: hence the two renderings, in the text and in the margin.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

This verse may either declare how the Lord, the Creator of all men, will deal with sinners according to their guilt, or, how the powerful among men should disgrace and punish the wicked.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Proverbs 26:10 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

רַ֥בravan archerH7228

מְחֽוֹלֵֽל\־me.cho.lel-[who] woundsH2490

כֹּ֑לKoleveryoneH3605

וְשֹׂכֵ֥רve.so.Kherand [one who] hiresH7936

כְּ֝סִ֗ילke.Sila foolH3684

וְשֹׂכֵ֥רve.so.Kherand [one who] hiresH7936

עֹבְרִֽים\׃'oe.Rim[those who] pass byH5674

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Proverbs 26:10

Romans 2:6
Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
Proverbs 11:31
Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

The great, etc.or, A great man grieveth all; and he hireth the fool, he hireth also the transgressors.
both.
11:31; Ro 2:6

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Proverbs 26:9
As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
Proverbs 26:10
The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.
Proverbs 26:11
As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

Read all of Proverbs 26

Proverbs 26:10 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	El grande cría todas las cosas; y da la paga al insensato, y la da á los transgresores.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Le puissant use de violence envers tout le monde: il prend à gages le sot et il prend à gages les passants.
German Elberfelder 1871	Ein Schütze, der alles verwundet: so, wer den Toren dingt und die Vorübergehenden dingt.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Judicium determinat causas, et qui imponit stulto silentium iras mitigat.