Reading the Word

“Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.” (Proverbs 26:11, ESV)

Understanding and Applying the Word

What a vivid picture. It is the gross imagery of a dog returning to its vomit. What a disgusting thing! We see a similar statement in 2 Peter 2:22. The message is that we cannot simply teach a fool. They simply continue to go back to their old ways. Instead, there needs to be a complete re-orientation of their lives. They need to commit themselves to obtaining wisdom.

“Some people never learn” is a common saying. It is these types of people who are being described in this passage. They do things, they fail, but instead of learning and doing things differently, they return to their old ways. Others say things and get themselves into trouble, but fail to learn to control their tongues and end up repeating their mistakes. They are like a dog returning to its vomit.

We must commit ourselves to learning and growing. If we fail to do so, we should not be surprised when we continue to see the same results in our lives.

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