Proverbs 17:16

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

What’s the point of a fool having money in hand to buy wisdom, when his head is empty?

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Prov 23:23 : 23 Acquire truth and do not sell it– wisdom, and discipline, and understanding.
  • Isa 55:1-3 : 1 The Lord Gives an Invitation“Hey, all who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come! Buy and eat! Come! Buy wine and milk without money and without cost! 2 Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? Why spend your hard-earned money on something that will not satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is nourishing! Enjoy fine food! 3 Pay attention and come to me! Listen, so you can live! Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to you, just like the reliable covenantal promises I made to David.
  • Hos 4:11 : 11 Judgment of Pagan Idolatry and Cultic Prostitution Old and new wine take away the understanding of my people.
  • John 3:20 : 20 For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed.
  • Acts 13:46 : 46 Both Paul and Barnabas replied courageously,“It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we are turning to the Gentiles.
  • Acts 28:26-27 : 26 when he said,‘Go to this people and say,“You will keep on hearing, but will never understand, and you will keep on looking, but will never perceive. 27 For the heart of this people has become dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have closed their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.”’
  • 2 Cor 6:1 : 1 God’s Suffering Servants Now because we are fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
  • Deut 5:29 : 29 If only it would really be their desire to fear me and obey all my commandments in the future, so that it may go well with them and their descendants forever.
  • Ps 81:11-13 : 11 But my people did not obey me; Israel did not submit to me. 12 I gave them over to their stubborn desires; they did what seemed right to them. 13 If only my people would obey me! If only Israel would keep my commands!
  • Prov 1:22-23 : 22 “How long will you simpletons love naiveté? How long have mockers delighted in mockery? And how long will fools hate knowledge? 23 You should respond to my rebuke. Then I would pour out my thoughts to you; I would make my words known to you.
  • Prov 8:4-5 : 4 “To you, O people, I call out, and my voice calls to all mankind. 5 You who are naive, discern wisdom! And you fools, understand discernment!
  • Prov 9:4-6 : 4 “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,” To those who lack understanding, she has said, 5 “Come, eat some of my food, and drink some of the wine I have mixed. 6 Abandon your foolish ways so that you may live, and proceed in the way of understanding.”
  • Prov 14:6 : 6 The scorner sought wisdom–there was none, but understanding was easy for a discerning person.
  • Prov 18:15 : 15 The discerning person acquires knowledge, and the wise person seeks knowledge.
  • Prov 21:25-26 : 25 What the sluggard desires will kill him, for his hands have refused to work. 26 All day long he has craved greedily, but the righteous gives and does not hold back.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Prov 17:24-25
    2 verses
    80%

    24Wisdom is directly in front of the discerning person, but the eyes of a fool run to the ends of the earth.

    25A foolish child is a grief to his father, and bitterness to the mother who bore him.

  • Prov 18:2
    79%

    2A fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only in disclosing what is on his mind.

  • Prov 14:33
    78%

    33Wisdom rests in the heart of the discerning; it is not known in the inner parts of fools.

  • Prov 16:22
    77%

    22Insight is like a life-giving fountain to the one who possesses it, but folly leads to the discipline of fools.

  • Prov 14:6-8
    3 verses
    77%

    6The scorner sought wisdom–there was none, but understanding was easy for a discerning person.

    7Walk abreast with a foolish person, and you do not understand wise counsel.

    8The wisdom of the shrewd person is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deception.

  • Prov 14:24
    77%

    24The crown of the wise is their riches, but the folly of fools is folly.

  • Prov 13:16
    77%

    16Every shrewd person acts with knowledge, but a fool displays his folly.

  • Prov 15:14
    76%

    14The discerning mind seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on folly.

  • Prov 12:15
    76%

    15The way of a fool is right in his own opinion, but the one who listens to advice is wise.

  • Prov 24:7
    76%

    7Wisdom is unattainable for a fool; in court he does not open his mouth.

  • Prov 15:7
    76%

    7The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but not so the heart of fools.

  • Prov 19:3
    76%

    3A person’s folly subverts his way, and his heart rages against the LORD.

  • Eccl 10:2-3
    2 verses
    76%

    2Wisdom Can Be Nullified By the Caprice of Rulers A wise person’s good sense protects him, but a fool’s lack of sense leaves him vulnerable.

    3Even when a fool walks along the road he lacks sense, and shows everyone what a fool he is.

  • Prov 15:21
    75%

    21Folly is a joy to one who lacks sense, but one who has understanding follows an upright course.

  • Prov 26:4-5
    2 verses
    75%

    4Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you yourself also be like him.

    5Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own opinion.

  • Prov 17:21
    75%

    21Whoever brings a fool into the world does so to his grief, and the father of a fool has no joy.

  • Eccl 6:8
    75%

    8So what advantage does a wise man have over a fool? And what advantage does a pauper gain by knowing how to survive?

  • Prov 23:9
    75%

    9Do not speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

  • Prov 26:12
    75%

    12You have seen a man wise in his own opinion– there is more hope for a fool than for him.

  • Prov 15:5
    74%

    5A fool rejects his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds reproof shows good sense.

  • Eccl 10:15
    74%

    15The toil of a stupid fool wears him out, because he does not even know the way to the city.

  • Prov 19:1
    74%

    1Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is perverse in his speech and is a fool.

  • Prov 21:20
    74%

    20There is desirable treasure and olive oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish person devours all he has.

  • Eccl 7:25
    74%

    25True Righteousness and Wisdom Are Virtually Nonexistent I tried to understand, examine, and comprehend the role of wisdom in the scheme of things, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the insanity of folly.

  • Prov 10:23
    74%

    23Carrying out a wicked scheme is enjoyable to a fool, and so is wisdom for the one who has discernment.

  • Prov 12:23
    74%

    23The shrewd person conceals knowledge, but foolish people proclaim folly.

  • Prov 8:5
    74%

    5You who are naive, discern wisdom! And you fools, understand discernment!

  • Ps 92:6
    74%

    6The spiritually insensitive do not recognize this; the fool does not understand this.

  • Prov 17:17-18
    2 verses
    74%

    17A friend loves at all times, and a relative is born to help in adversity.

    18The one who lacks sense strikes hands in pledge, and puts up financial security for his neighbor.

  • Prov 26:9-10
    2 verses
    74%

    9Like a thorn has gone up into the hand of a drunkard, so a proverb has gone up into the mouth of a fool.

    10Like an archer who wounds at random, so is the one who hires a fool or hires any passerby.

  • Eccl 7:4-5
    2 verses
    73%

    4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of merrymaking.

    5Frivolous Living Versus Wisdom It is better for a person to receive a rebuke from those who are wise than to listen to the song of fools.

  • Prov 15:2
    73%

    2The tongue of the wise treats knowledge correctly, but the mouth of the fool spouts out folly.

  • Prov 14:3
    73%

    3In the speech of a fool is a rod for his back, but the words of the wise protect them.

  • Job 28:12
    73%

    12No Price Can Buy Wisdom“But wisdom– where can it be found? Where is the place of understanding?

  • Eccl 2:15-16
    2 verses
    73%

    15So I thought to myself,“The fate of the fool will happen even to me! Then what did I gain by becoming so excessively wise?” So I lamented to myself,“The benefits of wisdom are ultimately meaningless!”

    16For the wise man, like the fool, will not be remembered for very long, because in the days to come, both will already have been forgotten. Alas, the wise man dies– just like the fool!

  • Prov 29:20
    73%

    20You have seen someone who is hasty in his words– there is more hope for a fool than for him.

  • Eccl 7:7
    73%

    7Human Wisdom Overturned by Adversity Surely oppression can turn a wise person into a fool; likewise, a bribe corrupts the heart.

  • Ps 94:8
    73%

    8Take notice of this, you ignorant people! You fools, when will you ever understand?

  • Job 28:20
    73%

    20God Alone Has Wisdom“But wisdom– where does it come from? Where is the place of understanding?

  • Prov 10:14
    72%

    14Those who are wise store up knowledge, but foolish speech leads to imminent destruction.

  • 1 Cor 3:19
    72%

    19For the wisdom of this age is foolishness with God. As it is written,“He catches the wise in their craftiness.”