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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Proverbs 26:18

Anyone who would trick someone and then say, "I was only joking" is like a fool who shoots flaming arrows into the air and accidentally kills someone.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Falsehood;   Firebrand;   Hypocrisy;   Insanity;   The Topic Concordance - Deception;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Arrows;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Gossip;   Tongue;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Lie, Lying;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Firebrand;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Arms;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Greek Versions of Ot;   Proverbs, Book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Brand;   Firebrand;   Mad;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Like a madman who throws flaming darts and deadly arrows,
Hebrew Names Version
Like a madman who shoots firebrands, arrows, and death,
King James Version
As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,
English Standard Version
Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death
New American Standard Bible
Like a maniac who shoots Flaming arrows, arrows, and death,
New Century Version
Like a madman shooting deadly, burning arrows
Amplified Bible
Like a madman who throws Firebrands, arrows, and death,
World English Bible
Like a madman who shoots firebrands, arrows, and death,
Geneva Bible (1587)
As he that faineth himselfe mad, casteth fire brands, arrowes, and mortall things,
Legacy Standard Bible
Like a madman who shootsFirebrands, arrows, and death,
Berean Standard Bible
Like a madman shooting firebrands and deadly arrows,
Contemporary English Version
It's no crazier to shoot sharp and flaming arrows
Complete Jewish Bible
Like a madman shooting deadly arrows and firebrands
Darby Translation
As a madman who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,
George Lamsa Translation
Like haughty men who utter words sharp and deadly as arrows,
Good News Translation
Someone who tricks someone else and then claims that he was only joking is like a crazy person playing with a deadly weapon.
Lexham English Bible
Like a maniac who shoots firebrands, arrows, and death,
Literal Translation
As one feigning weakness, throwing sparks, arrows and death,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Like as one shuteth deadly arowes and dartes out of a preuy place, euen so doth a dyssembler with his neghboure,
American Standard Version
As a madman who casteth firebrands, Arrows, and death,
Bible in Basic English
As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,
JPS Old Testament (1917)
As a madman who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death;
King James Version (1611)
As a mad man, who casteth firebrands, arrowes, and death:
Bishop's Bible (1568)
As he that fayneth him selfe mad, casteth firebrandes, deadly arrowes and dartes:
English Revised Version
As a madman who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death;
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
As he is gilti, that sendith speris and arowis in to deth;
Update Bible Version
As a lunatic who casts firebrands, Arrows, and death,
Webster's Bible Translation
As a mad [man] who casteth fire-brands, arrows, and death,
New English Translation
Like a madman who shoots firebrands and deadly arrows,
New King James Version
Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death,
New Living Translation
Just as damaging as a madman shooting a deadly weapon
New Life Bible
Like a crazy man who throws pieces of burning wood and arrows of death,
New Revised Standard
Like a maniac who shoots deadly firebrands and arrows,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
As a madman throwing firebrands, arrows and death,
Douay-Rheims Bible
As he is guilty that shooteth arrows, and lances unto death.
Revised Standard Version
Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death,
Young's Literal Translation
As [one] pretending to be feeble, Who is casting sparks, arrows, and death,
THE MESSAGE
People who shrug off deliberate deceptions, saying, "I didn't mean it, I was only joking," Are worse than careless campers who walk away from smoldering campfires.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Like a madman who throws Firebrands, arrows and death,

Contextual Overview

18Anyone who would trick someone and then say, "I was only joking" is like a fool who shoots flaming arrows into the air and accidentally kills someone.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

firebrands: Heb. flames, or sparks

arrows: Proverbs 7:23, Proverbs 25:18, Genesis 49:23

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 2:14 - play before Proverbs 10:23 - General Proverbs 14:9 - Fools Proverbs 15:21 - joy Jeremiah 11:15 - thou doest evil

Cross-References

Genesis 21:31
So after that, the well was called Beersheba. Abraham gave the well this name because it was the place where they made a promise to each other.
Numbers 32:38
Nebo, Baal Meon, and Sibmah. They used the names of the cities that they rebuilt. But they changed the names of Nebo and Baal Meon.
Psalms 16:4
But those who worship other gods will have many troubles. I will not share in the gifts of blood they offer to their idols. I will not even say their names.
Hosea 2:17
I will take the names of those false gods out of her mouth. Then people will not use those names again.
Zechariah 13:2
The Lord All-Powerful says, "At that time I will remove all the idols from the earth. People will not even remember their names, and I will remove the false prophets and unclean spirits from the earth.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

As a mad [man], who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death. Or the instruments of death, as Aben Ezra; or the sharp arrows of death, as the Targum and Syriac version; who casts firebrands into the houses and barns of his neighbours, to consume them; or arrows at their persons and cattle, to destroy them; or any other instruments of death, which none but a mad man, or one wickedly mad, would do. Or, "as one that makes himself mad" e; that feigns himself mad, and, under colour of this, does mischief to his neighbour's person and property: or, "as one that hides himself" f; that casts firebrands, arrows, and other deadly things, in a private way, so as not to be seen, and that it may not be known from whence they come: or, "as one that wearies himself" g, so Jarchi; in doing mischief in such a way. The word in the Arabic language signifies to play and be in sport; and so it means one that does these things in sport, as it is a sport to a fool to do mischief; which sense agrees with what follows.

e כמתלהלה "ut se habet qui iunsanum ne simulat", Piscator; "ut qui se insanire fingit", Cocceius. f "Sicut abscondit se", Pagninus, Mercerus, Gejerus. g "Ut sese fatigat", Tigurine version.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The teacher cuts off the plea which people make when they have hurt their neighbor by lies, that they “did not mean mischief,” that they were “only in fun.” Such jesting is like that of the madman flinging firebrands or arrows.


 
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