Proverbs 26:11 - Exposition

As the dog returneth to his vomit , so a fool returneth to his folly; or, repeateth his folly . The fool never frees himself from the trammels of his foolishness; his deeds and words always bear the same character to the end. The same truth holds good of the sinner, especially the drunkard and the sensualist. If they feel temporary compunction, and reject their sin by partial repentance, they do not really shake it off wholly; it has become a second nature to them, and they soon relapse into it. Septuagint, "As when a dog goes to his own vomit and becomes hateful, so is a fool who returns in his wickedness to his own sin." The LXX . adds a distich which is found in Ecclesiasticus 4:21, "There is a shame that bringeth sin, and there is a shame that is glory and grace."