He that sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off the feet, and drinks damage.
He that sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off the feet, and drinks damage.
He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool Cutteth off his own feet, and drinketh in damage.
He who sends news by the hand of a foolish man is cutting off his feet and drinking in damage.
He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage.
One who sends a message by the hand of a fool is cutting off feet and drinking violence.
He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off his own feet, and drinketh in damage.
Cutteth off the feet - Sending by such a person is utterly useless. My old MS. Bible translates well: Halt in feet and drinking wickednesse that sendith wordis bi a foole messager. Nothing but lameness in himself can vindicate his sending it by such hands; and, after all, the expedient will be worse than the total omission, for he is likely to drink wickedness, i.e., the mischief occasioned by the fool's misconduct. Coverdale nearly hits the sense as usual: "He is lame of his fete, yee dronken is he in vanite, that committeth eny thinge to a foole."
Cutteth off the feet - Mutilates him, spoils the work which the messenger ought to fulfill.
Drinketh damage - i. e., "has to drink full draughts of shame and loss" (compare Job 15:16).
26:6 Cutteth off the feet - Of his messenger; bids one go that wants legs. Drinketh - Drinking, in scripture, frequently denotes the plentiful doing or receiving of any thing.