The Hebrew word evil (אֱוִיל) means foolish or a fool. It is one of several Hebrew words for 'fool,' each with distinct nuances. The evil is characterized by a stubborn, morally reckless disposition — someone who despises correction, acts impulsively without wisdom, and brings harm to themselves and others.
Unlike the nabal (H5036), whose foolishness is more deeply godless and wicked, or the kesil (H3684), whose foolishness is dull and complacent, the evil tends toward rash, heated, quarrelsome behavior. Proverbs describes this fool as quick to anger and impossible to counsel.
The book of Proverbs is in many ways a prolonged meditation on the contrast between wisdom and folly. To be an evil (fool) is not merely to lack intelligence — it is a moral and spiritual failure. Proverbs 1:7 frames the entire wisdom tradition: 'The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.'
The New Testament develops this theme in Paul's contrast between the wisdom of the world (which is foolishness to God) and the wisdom of God (which looks like foolishness to the world — 1 Corinthians 1:18–25). True wisdom is not intellectual achievement but submission to God. The path away from folly is the path of humility, teachability, and the fear of the Lord.