As coals are to hot embers, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindling strife.
Parallel Translations
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As coals are to hot embers, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindling strife.
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As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.
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As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.
Cross-references (8)
Passages linked to Proverbs 26:21 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Proverbs 15:18 A wrathful man stirs up contention, but one who is slow to anger appeases strife.
- Proverbs 29:22 An angry man stirs up strife, and a wrathful man abounds in sin.
- 2 Samuel 20:1 There happened to be there a wicked fellow, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite; and he blew the trumpet, and said, “We have no portion in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to his tents, Israel!”
- 1 Kings 12:2-3 When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam lived in Egypt, and they sent and called him), Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came, and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
- 1 Kings 12:20 When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was no one who followed David’s house, except for the tribe of Judah only.
- Psalms 120:4 Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.
- Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all wrongs.
- Proverbs 30:33 For as the churning of milk produces butter, and the wringing of the nose produces blood; so the forcing of wrath produces strife.”
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (7 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Pro 26:21 [As] coals [are] to burning coals, and…
Pro 26:21 [As] coals [are] to burning coals, and wood to fire; so [is] a contentious man to kindle strife.
Ver. 21. So is a contentious man.] Heb., A man of contentions, Vir biliosus et bellicosus; a man made up of discords, as Democritus said the world was - that loves to live in the fire, as the salamander doth; the dog days continue with such all the year long, and, like mad dogs, they bite and set a-madding all they can fasten on, as did Sheba, Korah, and Judas, who set all the disciples murmuring at the oil poured on Christ’s head. So Arius set all the Christian world on a light fire, and Pope Hildebrand cast abroad his firebrands.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Heb. A man of contentions, that loveth and giveth…
Heb. A man of contentions, that loveth and giveth him self up to contentions.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain As coals are to burning coals, and wood to…
As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire,.... As brands, wood half burnt, or dead coals put to live and burning ones, soon take fire and become like them, and fit and proper fuel for them, and add to their heat:
so is a contentious man to kindle strife; or "a man of contentions" (k); who is given to it, is full of it; it is agreeable to his natural temper and disposition; he is in his element when at it; such a man is as fuel to the fire, as a dead coal to a living one, which increases the heat of it; so does he, he kindles and spreads the flame of contention and strife.
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(k) "vir contentionum", Montanus, Baynus, Piscator, Gejerus.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Coals - Charcoal.
Coals - Charcoal.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 21. As coals — Charcoal. The sentiment in these…
21. As coals — Charcoal. The sentiment in these two verses is similar, but not identical, that is represented in two different ways.
A contentious man — One who is fault-finding, irritating, and consequently vexatious.
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Strife ceaseth — Goes out; it is kindled, fanned up, and kept burning by a man of contention — one fond of strife. Compare Pro_15:18; Pro_16:28; Pro_21:9; Pro_22:10; Pro_27:15.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 21. kindle] Better, inflame, R.V.
21. kindle] Better, inflame, R.V.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain As coals are to burning coals. As black, cold…
As coals are to burning coals. As black, cold charcoal feeds glowing charcoal, as wood feeds a lighted fire, so a quarrelsome man (Pro_21:9 Pro_27:15) supports and nourishes strife. The verse is the counterpart of the preceding. Septuagint, "A hearth for coal and logs for fire, and a reviling man for tumult of strife."
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.