Foolishness

"foolishness; stupidity." This noun appears 25 times in the Old Testament. It can mean "foolishness" in the sense of violating God's law, or "sin" (Psa 38:5). The word also describes the activities and life-style of the man who ignores the instructions of wisdom (Prov 5:23). In another nuance, the noun means "thoughtless." Hence ’iwwelet describes the way a young person is prone to act (Prov 22:15) and the way any fool or stupid person chatters (Prov 15:2).

"foolishness; senselessness; impropriety; stupidity." This abstract noun appears 13 times in the Old Testament. Its use in 1Sa 25:25 signifies "disregarding God's will." Nebalâ is most often used as a word for a serious sin (Gen 34:7, the first occurrence).