Proverbs 17:12

Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.
– Proverbs 17:12

Meeting such a bear would be alarming and threatening, but the proverb shows it’s more dangerous to meet a fool in his folly. A bear robbed of her whelps is a figure in Scripture to express brute strength and terror (2 Samuel 17:8; Hosea 13:8). The proverb doesn’t necessarily liken the fool’s rage to the bear’s. Such a bear cannot be reasoned with, is consumed with venting, and cannot easily be stopped. So it is with a fool in his folly (Proverbs 17:10; 10:23; 18:6; 29:11).

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