Sending a message by the hand of a fool cripples the sender and brings violence on him.
Proverbs 26:6 names the double harm of using a fool as messenger: He cuts off his own feet and drinks violence who sends a message by the hand of a fool (v. 6).
The man who sends a fool with an important message has crippled himself: He cuts off his own feet. He cannot reach his goal because his messenger was incapable of completing the journey. He has effectively removed his own ability to move forward.
And drinks violence. Worse, the fool's failure does not just stop the message; it injures the sender. The fool may distort the message, embarrass the sender, or provoke the recipient. The sender drinks the consequences as if he had drunk poison. The verse warns the wise man to know his messengers before he commits important business to them.
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Proverbs 26:6 meaning
Proverbs 26:6 names the double harm of using a fool as messenger: He cuts off his own feet and drinks violence who sends a message by the hand of a fool (v. 6).
The man who sends a fool with an important message has crippled himself: He cuts off his own feet. He cannot reach his goal because his messenger was incapable of completing the journey. He has effectively removed his own ability to move forward.
And drinks violence. Worse, the fool's failure does not just stop the message; it injures the sender. The fool may distort the message, embarrass the sender, or provoke the recipient. The sender drinks the consequences as if he had drunk poison. The verse warns the wise man to know his messengers before he commits important business to them.