EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Proverbs 17:12
12Do not go near a fool who is doing stupid things. It would be safer to meet a mother bear who has lost her babies.
Proverbs 17:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.
- New International Version (NIV)Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool bent on folly.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs rather than a fool in his folly.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, Rather than a fool in his folly.
Context of Proverbs 17:12
10You can warn a wise person once and he will learn what is right. But a fool never learns, even if you hit him a hundred times. 11An evil person never obeys authority, so a cruel messenger will come to punish him. Do not go near a fool who is doing stupid things. It would be safer to meet a mother bear who has lost her babies. 13If people are kind to you, do not do evil things in return. Anyone who does that will always have trouble in his home. 14It is difficult to stop a quarrel once it has started. It is like water that pours out of a broken pot. Stop it quickly!
Read all of Proverbs 17Proverbs 17:12 word by word
פָּג֬וֹשׁ דֹּ֣ב שַׁכּ֣וּל בְּאִ֑ישׁ וְאַל־כְּ֝סִ֗יל בְּאִוַּלְתּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 17:12
- Proverbs 28:15A wicked ruler brings danger to poor people. He is as dangerous as an angry lion or a hungry bear.
- 2 Samuel 17:8You know your father and his men. They are all strong fighters. They are as dangerous as a mother bear when you take away her babies. Remember that your father has fought many battles. He will not stay all night among his soldiers.
- 2 Kings 2:24Elisha turned around and he looked at them. He asked the Lord to punish them. Two bears came out from the forest. They tore 42 of the boys in pieces.
- Hosea 13:8I will attack them like an angry bear that has lost her children. I will tear them into pieces. I will eat them like a hungry lion. I will attack them and kill them, like a wild animal.
- Proverbs 27:3A stone is heavy to carry and sand also weighs a lot. But the silly acts of a fool give more pain than both of those.
- Matthew 2:16When the wise men did not return to Herod, he was very angry. He knew that they had deceived him. So he sent his men to Bethlehem. He said to them, ‘Kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem. Kill the boys who live near there too. Kill all the boys who are two years old or younger than that.’ The wise men had told Herod how long ago they had first seen the special star. So he decided to kill the baby boys of that age.
Commentaries on Proverbs 17:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Let a bear robbed of her whelps - At which times such animals are peculiarly fierce. See the note on 2 Samuel 17:8.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12The large brown bear of Syria, in her rage at the loss of her whelps, was to the Israelites the strongest type of brute ferocity. Compare 2 Samuel 17:8; 2 Kings 2:24.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12Verse 12 Let us watch over our own passions, and avoid the company of furious men.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12This saying warns against teaching fools. A fool stuck in foolishness may respond with anger and violence.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. They are less rational in anger than wild beasts.Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 17:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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