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Wednesday, November 27th, 2024
the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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Amplified Bible

Proverbs 18:19

A brother offended is harder to win over than a fortified city, And contentions [separating families] are like the bars of a castle.

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

New Living Translation
An offended friend is harder to win back than a fortified city. Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with bars.
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.
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.
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.
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.
World English Bible
A brother offended is more difficult than a fortified city; And disputes 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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
A brother that is helpid of a brothir, is as a stidfast citee; and domes ben as the barris of citees.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Geneva Bible (1587)
A brother offended is harder to winne then a strong citie, and their contentions are like the barre of a palace.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Young's Literal Translation
A brother transgressed against is as a strong city, And contentions as the bar of a palace.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The vnite of brethren is stronger then a castell, and they that holde together are like the barre of a palace.
THE MESSAGE
Do a favor and win a friend forever; nothing can untie that bond.
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 King James Version
A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a castle.
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.
Legacy Standard Bible
A brother offended is harder to win over than a strong city,And contentions are like the bars of a citadel.

Contextual Overview

19A brother offended is harder to win over than a fortified city, And contentions [separating families] are like the bars of a castle.

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
When he raised his eyes and looked up, behold, three men were standing [a little distance] from him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed down [with his face] to the ground,
Genesis 18:4
"Please let a little water be brought [by one of my servants] and [you may] wash your feet, and recline and rest comfortably under the tree.
Genesis 18:5
And I will bring a piece of bread to refresh and sustain you; after that you may go on, since you have come to your servant." And they replied, "Do as you have said."
Genesis 18:6
So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Quickly, get ready three measures of fine meal, knead it and bake cakes."
Genesis 18:7
Abraham also ran to the herd and brought a calf, tender and choice, and he gave it to the servant [to butcher], and he hurried to prepare it.
Genesis 18:9
Then they said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" And he said, "There, in the tent."
Genesis 18:10
He said, "I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him.
Genesis 18:19
"For I have known (chosen, acknowledged) him [as My own], so that he may teach and command his children and [the sons of] his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is righteous and just, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has promised him."
Genesis 18:20
And the LORD said, "The outcry [of the sin] of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave.
Genesis 18:21
"I will go down now, and see whether they have acted [as vilely and wickedly] as the outcry which has come to Me [indicates]; and if not, I will know."

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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