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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

Proverbs 29:19

It takes more than talk to keep workers in line; mere words go in one ear and out the other.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Servant;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Servants;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Understanding;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Greek Versions of Ot;   Proverbs, Book of;   Slave, Slavery;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Reform;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
A servant cannot be disciplined by words;though he understands, he doesn’t respond.
Hebrew Names Version
A servant can't be corrected by words. Though he understands, yet he will not respond.
King James Version
A servant will not be corrected by words: for though he understand he will not answer.
English Standard Version
By mere words a servant is not disciplined, for though he understands, he will not respond.
New American Standard Bible
A slave will not be instructed by words alone; For though he understands, there will be no response.
New Century Version
Words alone cannot correct a servant, because even if they understand, they won't respond.
Amplified Bible
A servant will not be corrected by words alone; For though he understands, he will not respond [nor pay attention].
World English Bible
A servant can't be corrected by words. Though he understands, yet he will not respond.
Geneva Bible (1587)
A seruant will not be chastised with words: though he vnderstand, yet he will not answere.
Legacy Standard Bible
A slave will not be corrected by words alone;For though he understands, there will be no answer.
Berean Standard Bible
A servant cannot be corrected by words alone; though he understands, he will not respond.
Contemporary English Version
Even when servants are smart, it takes more than words to make them obey.
Complete Jewish Bible
A slave can't be disciplined with words; he may understand, but he won't respond.
Darby Translation
A servant is not corrected by words: he understandeth indeed, but he will not answer.
Easy-to-Read Version
Servants will not learn a lesson if you only talk to them. They might understand you, but they will not obey.
George Lamsa Translation
A servant will not be corrected by words; for he knows then that he will not be beaten.
Good News Translation
You cannot correct servants just by talking to them. They may understand you, but they will pay no attention.
Lexham English Bible
By words, a servant is not disciplined, for he will understand, but there is no giving heed.
Literal Translation
A servant is not corrected by words; though he discerns, there is no answer.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
A seruaut wil not be the better for wordes, for though he vnderstonde, yet wil he not regarde them.
American Standard Version
A servant will not be corrected by words; For though he understand, he will not give heed.
Bible in Basic English
A servant will not be trained by words; for though the sense of the words is clear to him, he will not give attention.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
A servant will not be corrected by words; for though he understand, there will be no response.
King James Version (1611)
A seruant will not be corrected by words: for though hee vnderstand, hee will not answere.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
A [stubbourne] seruaunt wyll not be the better for wordes: for though he vnderstande, yet will he not regarde them.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
As faces are not like other faces, so neither are the thoughts of men.
English Revised Version
A servant will not be corrected by words: for though he understand he will not give heed.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
A seruaunt mai not be tauyt bi wordis; for he vndirstondith that that thou seist, and dispisith for to answere.
Update Bible Version
A slave will not be corrected by words; For though he understands, he will not give heed.
Webster's Bible Translation
A servant will not be corrected by words: for though he understandeth, he will not answer.
New English Translation
A servant cannot be corrected by words, for although he understands, there is no answer.
New King James Version
A servant will not be corrected by mere words; For though he understands, he will not respond.
New Living Translation
Words alone will not discipline a servant; the words may be understood, but they are not heeded.
New Life Bible
A servant will not be taught by words alone. For even if he understands, he will not answer.
New Revised Standard
By mere words servants are not disciplined, for though they understand, they will not give heed.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
By words, a servant will not be corrected, though he perceiveth, yet is there no answer.
Douay-Rheims Bible
A slave will not be corrected by words: because he understandeth what thou sayest, and will not answer.
Revised Standard Version
By mere words a servant is not disciplined, for though he understands, he will not give heed.
Young's Literal Translation
By words a servant is not instructed though he understand, And there is nothing answering.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
A slave will not be instructed by words alone; For though he understands, there will be no response.

Contextual Overview

19 It takes more than talk to keep workers in line; mere words go in one ear and out the other.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

servant: Proverbs 26:3, Proverbs 30:22

though: Job 19:16

Reciprocal: Genesis 16:6 - as it pleaseth thee Exodus 21:20 - smite Proverbs 17:10 - General

Cross-References

Isaiah 6:11
Astonished, I said, "And Master, how long is this to go on?" He said, "Until the cities are emptied out, not a soul left in the cities— Houses empty of people, countryside empty of people. Until I, God , get rid of everyone, sending them off, the land totally empty. And even if some should survive, say a tenth, the devastation will start up again. The country will look like pine and oak forest with every tree cut down— Every tree a stump, a huge field of stumps. But there's a holy seed in those stumps."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

A servant will not be corrected by words,.... Not by them only, especially one that is of a servile, surly, and untractable disposition; otherwise a good servant, and well disposed to his master, and willing to serve him, and promote his interest, a word is sufficient for such an one; when he is bid to go, he goes; or to come, he comes, Matthew 8:9; or if he has done wrong, and his fault is told him, he will amend another time; whereas a rough ill natured servant will not regard words, but must have blows to correct him;

for though he understand; what his master says, and what is his will, and knows he has done wrong, and ought to do otherwise, which is an aggravation of sin:

he will not answer; own his fault and promise to do better for the future; through the surliness of his nature, and contempt of his master, whom he does not think worthy of an answer: so the Vulgate Latin version renders it, "he despises to answer"; thus Job was used by his servants, Job 19:16; There is an answering which is forbidden servants, Titus 2:9; but this what becomes them, and is expressive of their respect and reverence to their masters, and their ready, hearty, and cheerful obedience to them; and which especially should be in Christian servants to Christian masters, 1 Timothy 6:1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Servant - i. e., A slave, whose obedience is reluctant. He may “understand” the words, but they produce no good effect. There is still lacking the true “answer” of obedience.


 
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