אֱוִלִי

From the study of Zechariah 11:15

Range of meaning

An adjective built on the noun ʾĕwîl, 'fool.' This form appears only here in the Hebrew Bible. The noun ʾĕwîl and its related noun ʾiwwelet ('folly') belong to the vocabulary of Wisdom literature. An ʾĕwîl despises wisdom and discipline (Proverbs 1:7), is quick to quarrel (Proverbs 20:3), mocks at guilt (Proverbs 14:9), and cannot be beaten out of his folly (Proverbs 27:22). In the prophets the word describes people who refuse to know God (Jeremiah 4:22; Isaiah 35:8). The idea is moral and religious perversity, a settled refusal of what is right, rather than low intelligence.

Against the English

Every major English version says 'foolish' (NLT goes further with 'worthless'). Today 'foolish' suggests silly, naive, clownish or simply unwise. The Hebrew points to a ruler who is culpable and willfully corrupt.

How it drifted

English 'fool' and 'foolish' once carried more moral weight (compare the 'fool' of the KJV Psalms). Ordinary speech has softened them toward 'silly' or 'unwise,' so the condemnation in the Hebrew is lost.

Used elsewhere in the period

ʾĕwîl appears about 26 times, mostly in Proverbs. HALOT and BDB both stress the moral side: a fool who scorns instruction. The adjective here is the only time it describes a person's office. In v.17 the same figure is called rōʿî hāʾĕlîl, 'worthless shepherd.' ʾĕlîl means 'nothingness' and is a common word for idols. ʾĕwilî and ʾĕlîl sound alike, which is very likely a deliberate echo. The Greek translation (LXX) softens the word to 'inexperienced' or 'unskilled' (apeirou), and the Latin Vulgate has stulti, 'foolish.'