Proverbs 26:9
“Like a thorn bush that goes into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.”
What does Proverbs 26:9 mean?
When a drunk person grabs a thorny branch, they're likely to hurt themselves badly—they lack the awareness and control to handle something dangerous. In the same way, when a foolish person tries to use a wise saying or parable, they typically twist it, misapply it, or use it to cause harm rather than help. The point isn't that the proverb itself is bad, but that without wisdom and good judgment, even true and valuable words become weapons or nonsense in the wrong hands. It's a gentle warning that knowing wise sayings means little if we lack the maturity to use them well.