Foolishness cannot be forced out by mere external means; it requires a transformed heart born of true reverence for God and His ways.
Though you pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, Yet his folly will not depart from him. (Proverbs 27:22) This proverb paints a graphic image of how deeply rooted foolishness can be in a person’s heart. The mortar and pestle were common tools in the ancient world, used to grind grain into a fine powder. By comparing a fool to grain being pulverized, Proverbs stresses how external pressure or repeated correction alone is not enough to rid someone of folly if they remain hardened against wisdom.
In Scripture, true transformation begins within. Proverbs 9:10 says that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. This “fear” is not terror, but a profound respect for God’s holiness and a willingness to yield one’s heart to His truth. Without an inward posture of humility before the Lord, a foolish person resists outside attempts at discipline. No matter how forcefully they are chastened, real change must stem from a heart that acknowledges God’s ways as higher and seeks His correction willingly.
Foolishness also thrives on pride, which blinds a person from their need to repent. As the book of Proverbs declares elsewhere, “Pride goes before destruction” (Proverbs 16:18). Those who persist in foolishness often do so because of an inner arrogance that refuses counsel. They remain unmoved by consequences or stern rebukes, preferring stubborn self-reliance to a humble pursuit of God’s guidance.
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Proverbs 27:22 meaning
Though you pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, Yet his folly will not depart from him. (Proverbs 27:22) This proverb paints a graphic image of how deeply rooted foolishness can be in a person’s heart. The mortar and pestle were common tools in the ancient world, used to grind grain into a fine powder. By comparing a fool to grain being pulverized, Proverbs stresses how external pressure or repeated correction alone is not enough to rid someone of folly if they remain hardened against wisdom.
In Scripture, true transformation begins within. Proverbs 9:10 says that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. This “fear” is not terror, but a profound respect for God’s holiness and a willingness to yield one’s heart to His truth. Without an inward posture of humility before the Lord, a foolish person resists outside attempts at discipline. No matter how forcefully they are chastened, real change must stem from a heart that acknowledges God’s ways as higher and seeks His correction willingly.
Foolishness also thrives on pride, which blinds a person from their need to repent. As the book of Proverbs declares elsewhere, “Pride goes before destruction” (Proverbs 16:18). Those who persist in foolishness often do so because of an inner arrogance that refuses counsel. They remain unmoved by consequences or stern rebukes, preferring stubborn self-reliance to a humble pursuit of God’s guidance.