Bible Strands
Proverbs 26:10
Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or passerby.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — A wisdom teacher addresses a general audience within a structured collection of practical instructions on human conduct and divine oversight.
The words — רַב (rav) means archer, and שֹׂכֵר (so.kher) means one who hires.
The thread — The imagery extends to Proverbs 26:9, which pairs a drunkard with a misplaced proverb, and Proverbs 26:11, which pairs a fool with repeated folly.
Why it lands — The text states that delegating a task to a fool or a transient worker produces damage equivalent to a random arrow strike. It requires the reader to match responsibility with proven competence rather than convenience or ignorance.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.
Cross-references
- Proverbs 11:31 If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner!
- Romans 2:6 God “will repay each one according to his deeds.”