Proverbs 15 · Verse 1

Proverbs 15:1

A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
Proverbs 15:1, King James Version

Proverbs 15:1 in other translations

BSBA gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
WEBA gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
ASVA soft answer turneth away wrath; But a grievous word stirreth up anger.
YLTA soft answer turneth back fury, And a grievous word raiseth up anger.
DARBYA soft answer turneth away fury; but a grievous word stirreth up anger.
BBEBy a soft answer wrath is turned away, but a bitter word is a cause of angry feelings.
WebsterA soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

What does Proverbs 15:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Pr 15:1-33. 1. soft--tender or gentle. turneth ... wrath--from any one. stir up--as a smouldering fire is excited.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

The soft answer. Useful correction. Stability of the righteous. The contented mind. The slothful man. The fool. The covetous. The impious. The wicked opposed to the righteous; to the diligent; and to the man who fears the Lord. Verse 1 A soft answer - Gentleness will often disarm the most furious, where positive derangement has not taken place; one angry word will always beget another, for the disposition of one spirit always begets its own likeness in another: thus kindness produces kindness, and rage produces rage. Universal experience confirms this proverb.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
A right cause will be better pleaded with meekness than with passion. Nothing stirs up anger like grievous words.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Proverbs 15:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

מַֽעֲנֶה\־ma.'a.neh-an answerH4617
רַּ֭ךְrakhsoftH7390
יָשִׁ֣יבya.Shivit turns awayH7725
חֵמָ֑הche.MahrageH2534
וּדְבַר\־u.de.var-and a word ofH1697
עֶ֝֗צֶב'E.tzevhurtH6089
יַעֲלֶה\־ya.'a.leh-it raisesH5927
אָֽף\׃'AfangerH639

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Proverbs 15:1

  • Proverbs 10:12

    Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

  • Proverbs 25:15

    By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone.

  • Proverbs 15:18

    A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.

  • Proverbs 29:22

    An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.

  • Proverbs 28:25

    He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat.

  • Judges 8:1-3

    And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply. And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi–ezer? God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

  • 1 Kings 12:13-16

    And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him; And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the Lord, that he might perform his saying, which the Lord spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat. So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.

  • 1 Samuel 25:10-13

    And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master. Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be? So David’s young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings. And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.

  • Judges 12:3-6

    And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the Lord delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me? Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites. And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.

  • 1 Samuel 25:21-33

    Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited me evil for good. So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall. And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid. …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
25:15; Jud 8:1-3; 1Sa 25:21-33
grievous
18; 10:12; 28:25; 29:22; Jud 12:3-6; 1Sa 25:10,11,21,22; 2Sa 19:43
1Ki 12:13-16

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Proverbs 15:1

    A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

  • Proverbs 15:2

    The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.

Read all of Proverbs 15

Proverbs 15:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
LA blanda respuesta quita la ira: mas la palabra áspera hace subir el furor.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Une réponse douce détourne la fureur, mais la parole blessante excite la colère.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Eine gelinde Antwort wendet den Grimm ab, aber ein kränkendes Wort erregt den Zorn.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Responsio mollis frangit iram; sermo durus suscitat furorem.