evil · fool

What it means

evil (אֱוִיל) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “fool”.

A fool: one who will not learn or accept correction. It does not speak of a lack of intelligence but of an attitude toward life and toward God.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. Someone who won't learn or be corrected.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• fool ×17
• fools ×7
• foolish ×2

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Job×2
• Psalms×1
• Proverbs×19
• Isaiah×2
• Jeremiah×1
• Hosea×1

• Job 5:2

  For vexation kills the fool, and jealousy puts to death the simple.

• Job 5:3

  I have seen the fool taking root, and I cursed his dwelling suddenly.

• Psalms 107:17

  Fools, because of the way of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted.

• Proverbs 1:7

  The fear of YHWH is the beginning of knowledge; wisdom and correction fools despise.

• Proverbs 7:22

  He goes after her suddenly, as an ox to the slaughter goes, and as one in fetters to the correction goes the fool,

• Proverbs 10:8

  The wise of heart receives commandments, but the fool of lips will be thrown down.

• Proverbs 10:10

  He who winks the eye causes pain, and the fool of lips will be thrown down.

• Proverbs 10:14

  The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of the fool is ruin close at hand.

• Proverbs 10:21

  The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense.

• Proverbs 11:29

  Whoever troubles his household will inherit wind, and the fool will be a slave to the wise of heart.

• Proverbs 12:15

  The way of a fool is right in his eyes, but whoever listens to counsel is wise.

• Proverbs 12:16

  A fool: his vexation is known on that very day, but the shrewd man covers disgrace.

• Proverbs 14:3

  In the mouth of a fool is a rod of loftiness, but the lips of the wise will guard them.

• Proverbs 14:9

  Fools mock at guilt, but among the upright there is favor.

• Proverbs 15:5

  A fool spurns the correction of his father, but whoever heeds reproof becomes shrewd.

• Proverbs 16:22

  A fountain of life is prudence to those who have it, but the correction of fools is folly.

• Proverbs 17:28

  Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; whoever shuts his lips, discerning.

• Proverbs 20:3

  It is an honor for a man to keep away from a dispute, but every fool breaks out.

• Proverbs 24:7

  Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the gate he does not open his mouth.

• Proverbs 27:3

  Heavy is the stone, and a burden the sand, but the vexation of a fool is heavier than both of them.

• Proverbs 27:22

  If you pound the fool in the mortar among the grain with the pestle, his folly will not depart from him.

• Proverbs 29:9

  A wise man who goes to law with a foolish man, whether he rages or laughs, there is no rest.

• Isaiah 19:11

  Surely the princes of Zoan are fools; the counsel of the wise counselors of Pharaoh has become stupid. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings”?

• Isaiah 35:8

  And there will be there a highway and a way, and the Way of Holiness it will be called; the unclean will not pass over it, and it will be for them; the one who walks the way, even fools, will not go astray.

• Jeremiah 4:22

  “For my people is foolish; me they do not know. They are senseless children, and they are not discerning. They are wise to do evil, but to do good they do not know.”

• Hosea 9:7

  The days of punishment have come, the days of retribution have come; Israel will know it. The prophet is a fool, the man of the spirit is mad, because of the abundance of your iniquity, and the hostility is great.