Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, July 10th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
Attention!
For 10¢ a day you can enjoy StudyLight.org ads
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Green's Literal Translation

Proverbs 20:3

For a man to cease from strife is an honor, but every fool exposes himself.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Adjudication at Law;   Busybody;   Fool;   Meekness;   Peace;   Strife;   Thompson Chain Reference - Fools;   Strife;   Unity-Strife;   Wisdom-Folly;   The Topic Concordance - Foolishness;   Strife;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Busy-Bodies;   Fools;   Strife;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Glory;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Fool;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Fool;   Quarrel;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Honor belongs to the person who ends a dispute,but any fool can get himself into a quarrel.
Hebrew Names Version
It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife; But every fool will be quarreling.
King James Version
It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.
English Standard Version
It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling.
New American Standard Bible
Avoiding strife is an honor for a person, But any fool will quarrel.
New Century Version
Foolish people are always fighting, but avoiding quarrels will bring you honor.
Amplified Bible
It is an honor for a man to keep away from strife [by handling situations with thoughtful foresight], But any fool will [start a] quarrel [without regard for the consequences].
World English Bible
It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife; But every fool will be quarreling.
Geneva Bible (1587)
It is a mans honour to cease from strife: but euery foole will be medling.
Legacy Standard Bible
It is a glory for a man to cease quarreling,But any ignorant fool will break out in dispute.
Berean Standard Bible
It is honorable for a man to resolve a dispute, but any fool will quarrel.
Contemporary English Version
It makes you look good when you avoid a fight— only fools love to quarrel.
Complete Jewish Bible
Avoiding quarrels brings a person honor; for any fool can explode in anger.
Darby Translation
It is an honour for a man to cease from strife; but every fool rusheth into it.
Easy-to-Read Version
People who refuse to argue deserve respect. Any fool can start an argument.
George Lamsa Translation
It is an honor for a man to cease from strife; but every fool will delight in it.
Good News Translation
Any fool can start arguments; the honorable thing is to stay out of them.
Lexham English Bible
It is honorable for the man to refrain from strife, but every fool will be quick to quarrel.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
It is a mans honoure to kepe himself from strife, but they yt haue pleasure in braulinge, are fooles eueryone.
American Standard Version
It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife; But every fool will be quarrelling.
Bible in Basic English
It is an honour for a man to keep from fighting, but the foolish are ever at war.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
It is an honour for a man to keep aloof from strife; but every fool will be snarling.
King James Version (1611)
It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but euery foole will be medling.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
It is a mans honour to kepe him selfe from strife: but euery foole wyll be medling.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
It is a glory to a man to turn aside from railing; but every fool is entangled with such matters.
English Revised Version
It is an honour for a man to keep aloof from strife: but every fool will be quarrelling.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
It is onour to a man that departith hym silf fro stryuyngis; but fonned men ben medlid with dispisyngis.
Update Bible Version
It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife; But every fool will be quarrelling.
Webster's Bible Translation
[It is] an honor for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.
New English Translation
It is an honor for a person to cease from strife, but every fool quarrels.
New King James Version
It is honorable for a man to stop striving, Since any fool can start a quarrel.
New Living Translation
Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling.
New Life Bible
It is an honor for a man to keep away from fighting, but any fool will argue.
New Revised Standard
It is honorable to refrain from strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Honour, hath the man who sitteth away from strife, but, any fool, may break through.
Douay-Rheims Bible
It is an honour for a man to separate himself from quarrels: but all fools are meddling with reproaches.
Revised Standard Version
It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife; but every fool will be quarreling.
Young's Literal Translation
An honour to a man is cessation from strife, And every fool intermeddleth.
THE MESSAGE
It's a mark of good character to avert quarrels, but fools love to pick fights.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Keeping away from strife is an honor for a man, But any fool will quarrel.

Contextual Overview

3 For a man to cease from strife is an honor, but every fool exposes himself.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

an: Proverbs 14:29, Proverbs 16:32, Proverbs 17:14, Proverbs 19:11, Proverbs 25:8-10, Ephesians 1:6-8, Ephesians 4:32, Ephesians 5:1

but: Proverbs 14:17, Proverbs 18:6, Proverbs 21:24, 2 Kings 14:9, James 3:14, James 4:1

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 14:10 - why shouldest 2 Chronicles 25:17 - let us see 2 Chronicles 25:19 - why shouldest Proverbs 18:1 - intermeddleth Proverbs 26:17 - passeth

Cross-References

Genesis 20:1
And Abraham pulled up stakes from there to the land of the Negeb, and lived between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar.
Genesis 20:7
And now return the wife of the man, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you shall live. And if you do not return her, know that dying you shall die, you and all that are yours.
Genesis 20:12
And yet she really is my sister, daughter of my father; only not daughter of my mother. And she became my wife.
Genesis 20:13
And it happened when God made me wander from my father's house, even I said to her, This is your kindness which you do to me: at every place where we come there, say of me, He is my brother.
Genesis 20:14
Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male slaves, and slave-girls, and gave to Abraham. And he returned his wife Sarah to him.
Genesis 20:15
Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before you. Live where it pleases you.
Genesis 28:12
And he dreamed. And, behold, a ladder was placed on the earth, its top reaching to the heavens. And, behold, the angels of God were going up and going down on it!
Genesis 31:24
And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream of the night, and said to him, Watch out for yourself, that you not speak with Jacob from good to evil.
Genesis 37:5
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and told it to his brothers. And they increased to hate him still more.
Genesis 37:9
And he dreamed still another dream, and told it to his brothers. And he said, Behold, I have dreamed another dream: And, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars were bowing themselves to me.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

[It is] an honour for a man to cease from strife,.... As Abraham did, Genesis 13:7; when engaged in a quarrel with his neighbour, or in a lawsuit, or in a religious controversy, especially when he finds he is in the wrong; and indeed, if he is in the right, when he perceives it is like to issue in no good, and is only about words to no profit, it is an honour to drop it;

but every fool will be meddling; with things he has no concern in, or is not equal to; yet will carry on the debate, though it is to his disgrace; see Proverbs 17:14.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Meddling - See Proverbs 17:14 note.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 20:3. It is an honour for a man — The same sentiment as Proverbs 19:11.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile