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Saturday, July 12th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

Young's Literal Translation

Proverbs 20:3

An honour to a man is cessation from strife, And every fool intermeddleth.

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.
Literal Translation
For a man to cease from strife is an honor, but every fool exposes himself.
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.
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 An honour to a man is cessation from strife, And every fool intermeddleth.

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 journeyeth from thence toward the land of the south, and dwelleth between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourneth in Gerar;
Genesis 20:7
and now send back the man's wife, for he [is] inspired, and he doth pray for thee, and live thou; and if thou do not send back, know that dying thou dost die, thou, and all that thou hast.'
Genesis 20:12
and also, truly she is my sister, daughter of my father, only not daughter of my mother, and she becometh my wife;
Genesis 20:13
and it cometh to pass, when God hath caused me to wander from my father's house, that I say to her, This [is] thy kindness which thou dost with me: at every place whither we come, say of me, He [is] my brother.'
Genesis 20:14
And Abimelech taketh sheep and oxen, and servants and handmaids, and giveth to Abraham, and sendeth back to him Sarah his wife;
Genesis 20:15
and Abimelech saith, `Lo, my land [is] before thee, where it is good in thine eyes, dwell;'
Genesis 28:12
And he dreameth, and lo, a ladder set up on the earth, and its head is touching the heavens; and lo, messengers of God are going up and coming down by it;
Genesis 31:24
And God cometh in unto Laban the Aramaean in a dream of the night, and saith to him, `Take heed to thyself lest thou speak with Jacob from good unto evil.'
Genesis 37:5
And Joseph dreameth a dream, and declareth to his brethren, and they add still more to hate him.
Genesis 37:9
And he dreameth yet another dream, and recounteth it to his brethren, and saith, `Lo, I have dreamed a dream again, and lo, the sun and the moon, and eleven stars, are 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.


 
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