Proverbs 26:1

“As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, etc.] Which were very undesirable and unseasonable, yea, very hurtful to the fruits of the earth; and a great obstruction to the labourers in the harvest, and a hinderance to the gathering of it in; and were very rare and uncommon in Judea; it was even a miracle for thunder and rain to be in wheat harvest, (<091217>1 Samuel 12:17); so honour is not seemly for a fool: for a wicked man; such should not be favoured by kings, and set in high places of honour and trust; “folly set in great dignity”, or foolish and bad men set in honourable places, are as unsuitable and inconvenient as snow and rain in summer and harvest, and should be as rare as they;…”

“(Pro. 26:1-28) The incongruities of nature illustrate also those of the moral world. The fool's unworthiness is also implied (Pro 17:7; Pro 19:10).”

“In Palestine there is commonly hardly any rain from the early showers of spring to October. Hence, “rain in harvest” became sometimes (see the marginal reference) a supernatural sign, sometimes, as here, a proverb for whatever was strange and incongruous. return to 'Top of Page'”

“26:1 It is not fitting to give honor to fools.”

“in summer: Sa1 12:17, Sa1 12:18 so: Pro 26:3, Pro 28:16; Jdg 9:7, Jdg 9:20, Jdg 9:56, Jdg 9:57; Est 3:1-15, Est 4:6, Est 4:9; Psa 12:8, Psa 15:4; Psa 52:1 \*title Ecc 10:5-7 Proverbs 26:2”

“There now follows a group of eleven proverbs of the fool; only the first of the group has after it a proverb of different contents, but of similar form: As snow in summer, and rain in harvest; So honour befitteth not a fool. If there is snow in high summer (קיץ, to be glowing hot), it is contrary to nature; and if there is rain in harvest, it is (according to the alternations of the weather in Palestine) contrary to what is usually the case, and is a hindrance to the ingathering of the fruits of the field. Even so a fool and respect, or a place of honour, are incongruous things; honour will only injure him (as according to Pro 19:10, luxury); he will make unjust use of it, and draw false…”