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Monday, September 8th, 2025
the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
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Read the Bible

Myles Coverdale Bible

Proverbs 18:19

The vnite of brethren is stronger then a castell, and they that holde together are like the barre of a palace.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Castle;   Family;   Strife;   Thompson Chain Reference - Family;   Strife;   Unity-Strife;   The Topic Concordance - Offense;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Cities;   Sieges;   Strife;  

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Castle;   Proverbs, Book of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Fortress;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Castle;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bar (2);   Offence;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for January 15;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
An offended brother is harder to reachthan a fortified city,and quarrels are like the bars of a fortress.
Hebrew Names Version
A brother offended is more difficult than a fortified city; And disputes are like the bars of a castle.
King James Version
A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.
English Standard Version
A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.
New American Standard Bible
A brother who is offended is harder to be won than a strong city, And quarrels are like the bars of a citadel.
New Century Version
A brother who has been insulted is harder to win back than a walled city, and arguments separate people like the barred gates of a palace.
Amplified Bible
A brother offended is harder to win over than a fortified city, And contentions [separating families] are like the bars of a castle.
World English Bible
A brother offended is more difficult than a fortified city; And disputes are like the bars of a castle.
Geneva Bible (1587)
A brother offended is harder to winne then a strong citie, and their contentions are like the barre of a palace.
Legacy Standard Bible
A brother offended is harder to win over than a strong city,And contentions are like the bars of a citadel.
Berean Standard Bible
An offended brother is harder to win than a fortified city, and disputes are like the bars of a castle.
Contemporary English Version
Making up with a friend you have offended is harder than breaking through a city wall.
Complete Jewish Bible
It is harder to win an offended brother than a strong city; their fights are like the bars of a fortress.
Darby Translation
A brother offended is [harder to be won] than a strong city; and contentions are as the bars of a palace.
Easy-to-Read Version
An insulted brother is harder to win back than a city with strong walls. Arguments separate people like the strong bars of a palace gate.
George Lamsa Translation
A brother helped by a brother is like a city helped by its fortifications; and his helpers are like the bars of a castle.
Good News Translation
Help your relatives and they will protect you like a strong city wall, but if you quarrel with them, they will close their doors to you.
Lexham English Bible
A brother who is offended is worse than a city of strength, and quarrels are like the bars of a fortification.
Literal Translation
An offended brother is worse than a fortified city; yea, their contentions are like the bars of a castle.
American Standard Version
A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city; And such contentions are like the bars of a castle.
Bible in Basic English
A brother wounded is like a strong town, and violent acts are like a locked tower.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city; and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.
King James Version (1611)
A brother offended is harder to be wonne then a strong citie: and their contentions are like the barres of a castle.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Brethren beyng at variaunce are harder to be wonne then a strong citie, and their contentions are like the barre of a castell.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
A brother helped by a brother is as a strong and high city; and is as strong as a well-founded palace.
English Revised Version
A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and such contentions are like the bars of a castle.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
A brother that is helpid of a brothir, is as a stidfast citee; and domes ben as the barris of citees.
Update Bible Version
A brother offended [is harder to be won] than a strong city; And [such] contentions are like the bars of a castle.
Webster's Bible Translation
A brother offended [is harder to be won] than a strong city: and [their] contentions [are] like the bars of a castle.
New English Translation
A relative offended is harder to reach than a strong city, and disputes are like the barred gates of a fortified citadel.
New King James Version
A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a castle.
New Living Translation
An offended friend is harder to win back than a fortified city. Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with bars.
New Life Bible
A brother who has been hurt in his spirit is harder to be won than a strong city, and arguing is like the iron gates of a king's house.
New Revised Standard
An ally offended is stronger than a city; such quarreling is like the bars of a castle.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
A brother estranged, is worse than a strong city, - and, contentions, are as the bar of a citadel.
Douay-Rheims Bible
A brother that is helped by his brother, is like a strong city: and judgments are like the bars of cities.
Revised Standard Version
A brother helped is like a strong city, but quarreling is like the bars of a castle.
Young's Literal Translation
A brother transgressed against is as a strong city, And contentions as the bar of a palace.
THE MESSAGE
Do a favor and win a friend forever; nothing can untie that bond.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a citadel.

Contextual Overview

19 The vnite of brethren is stronger then a castell, and they that holde together are like the barre of a palace.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

brother: Proverbs 6:19, Genesis 4:5-8, Genesis 27:41-45, Genesis 32:6-11, Genesis 37:3-5, Genesis 37:11, Genesis 37:18-27, 2 Samuel 13:22, 2 Samuel 13:28, 1 Kings 2:23-25, 1 Kings 12:16, 2 Chronicles 13:17, Acts 15:39

than: Proverbs 16:32

Reciprocal: Genesis 32:11 - Deliver Judges 12:6 - there fell Judges 20:48 - smote them 1 Samuel 17:28 - Eliab's anger 2 Samuel 19:43 - the words Acts 7:26 - ye are 1 Peter 3:1 - won

Cross-References

Genesis 18:2
And as he lift vp his eyes, and loked, beholde, there stode thre men ouer agaynst him. And whan he sawe them, he ranne to mete them from his tent dore, and bowed him self downe vpon the grounde,
Genesis 18:4
There shalbe brought you a litle water, & ye shall wash yor fete, & rest youre selues vnder the tre.
Genesis 18:5
And I wyll fet you a morsell of bred, to comforte youre hertes withall, and then shall ye go youre wayes, for therfore are ye come to youre seruaunt. They sayde: do euen so as thou hast spoken:
Genesis 18:6
Abraham wente a pace in to the tent to Sara, and sayde: Make haist, & mengle thre peckes of fyne meele, knede it, and bake cakes.
Genesis 18:7
And he ranne to the beastes, & fet a calf that was tender and good, and gaue it vnto a yonge man, which made it ready at once.
Genesis 18:9
Then saide they vnto him: where is Sara thy wyfe? He answered: within in ye tent.
Genesis 18:10
Then sayde he: aboute this tyme twolue moneth, (yf I lyue) I will come to the agayne, and Sara thy wyfe shal haue a sonne. And Sara herde that out of the tent dore, which was behynde his backe.
Genesis 18:19
For I knewe him that he wil comaunde his children and his housholde after him, to kepe the waye of ye LORDE, and to do after right and conscience, that the LORDE maye bringe vpo Abraham what he hath promised him.
Genesis 18:20
And the LORDE sayde: There is a crie at Sodome and Gomorra, which is greate, & their synnes are exceadinge greuous:
Genesis 18:21
therfore will I go downe & se, whether they haue done all together, acordinge to that crye, which is come before me, or not, that I maye knowe.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

A brother offended [is harder to be won] than a strong city,.... A fortified city may sooner be taken by an enemy, than one brother offended can be reconciled to another; their resentments against each other are keener than against another person that has offended them; and their love being turned into hatred, it is more bitter; and it is more difficult to compose differences between brethren than between enemies; wherefore such should take care that they fall not out by the way: this is true of brethren in a natural sense; as the cases of Abel and Cain, Jacob and Esau, Joseph and his brethren, Amnon and Absalom, and others, show; and of brethren in a spiritual sense, as Paul and Barnabas, Luther and Calvin, and others;

and [their] contentions [are] like the bars of a castle: which cannot be easily broken or cut asunder: so contentions, especially those among brethren, are with great difficulty made to cease, and their differences composed; they will stand it out against one another as long as a strong city, or a barred castle, against an enemy.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The meaning of the first clause is obtained in the King James Version by the insertion of the words in italics, and it seems on the whole to be the best. The Septuagint and Vulgate give an entirely different rendering, based, apparently, upon a different text.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 18:19. A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city — Almost all the versions agree in the following reading: "A brother assisted by a brother, is like a fortified city; and their decisions are like the bars of a city." Coverdale is both plain and terse: "The unitie of brethren is stronger then a castell, and they that holde together are like the barre of a palace." The fable of the dying father, his sons, and the bundle of faggots, illustrates this proverb. Unity among brethren makes them invincible; small things grow great by concord. If we take the words according to the common version, we see them express what, alas! we know to be too generally true: that when brothers fall out, it is with extreme difficulty that they can be reconciled. And fraternal enmities are generally strong and inveterate.


 
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