The adjective ewili means "foolish" and is related to the noun evil (H191), meaning "fool." It describes one who is morally and spiritually reckless — not merely intellectually slow but willfully rejecting wisdom and the fear of God.
In biblical wisdom literature, the ewil (fool) stands in stark contrast to the wise person. The fool's foolishness is not primarily intellectual but moral and spiritual — the Proverbs describe a person who despises correction (Proverbs 1:7), acts rashly (Proverbs 14:16), and multiplies sin through careless speech (Proverbs 10:14). The fool's ultimate folly is practical atheism — living as though God does not exist or does not matter. The beginning of wisdom, by contrast, is the fear of the LORD. This theological framework transforms everyday decision-making into a matter of eternal significance.