This saying continues to express the uselessness of fools, especially as carriers of messages. In the similar thought of 10.26b, it is the sluggard or lazy person who should not be sent or trusted with a task.

“He who sends a message by the hand of a fool”: Revised Standard Version reverses the order of the Hebrew lines. “A message” is literally “words,” probably a verbal message. The fool fails to deliver it or gets it twisted and confused. “By the hand of a fool” is probably to be understood as an idiom meaning “in the care of a fool.” New Living Translation translates this line as “Trusting a fool to convey a message. . ..”

“Cuts off his own feet and drinks violence”: “Cuts off his own feet” is figurative language, which means that sending a fool as a messenger instead of delivering it on your own feet is equivalent to cutting off your feet: you do yourself serious harm. Contemporary English Version says it “is like chopping off your foot.” Interpreters do not agree on the meaning of the expression “drinks violence”. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project rates the text as “A” and recommends translating “he drinks crime” or “he is filled with crime.” To “drink violence” or crime is figurative language and probably means to experience (the effects of) violence or crime. Note Good News Translation. Contemporary English Version and New Living Translation take “drinks” literally and understand “violence” as a drink that causes harm, that is, poison. Contemporary English Version has “drinks poison.” Translators may follow either of these options.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .