As an adjective, ba'ar denotes stupidity or brutishness — the absence of understanding, particularly the moral insensibility of one who refuses wisdom. As a verb it means to burn, consume, or graze.
The dual meaning of ba'ar — burning and brutishness — is profoundly revealing. Psalm 92:6 declares, 'The brutish man does not know; the fool does not understand this.' The same word is used for the burning that consumes the wicked. A soul that rejects wisdom burns itself out. Proverbs warns that the one who hates correction is ba'ar. For the New Testament believer, this word is a solemn call: wisdom — beginning with the fear of the LORD — is not optional. To live without it is to live like a beast, consuming and consumed.