Proverbs 26:5

Answer a fool. Here “according to” means “as it deserves” (see on v. 4). Answer the fool so that the foolishness of the proposition is revealed to those who listen and to the fool himself. Thus he may come to realize that he is far from wise and may seek to become so. In a sense, Christ carried out the advice in both of these apparently contradictory verses (vs. 4, 5) when He answered the Pharisees and the Herodians (Matt. 22:15-22; see on Prov. 26:4). Without entering into the area of their foolishness, He succeeded in showing up the malign foolishness of His questioners.