New Living Translation
Proverbs 20:18
18Plans succeed through good counsel; don’t go to war without wise advice.
Proverbs 20:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.
- New International Version (NIV)Plans are established by seeking advice; so if you wage war, obtain guidance.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Plans are established by counsel; By wise counsel wage war.
Context of Proverbs 20:18
16Get security from someone who guarantees a stranger’s debt. Get a deposit if he does it for foreigners. 17Stolen bread tastes sweet, but it turns to gravel in the mouth. Plans succeed through good counsel; don’t go to war without wise advice. 19A gossip goes around telling secrets, so don’t hang around with chatterers. 20If you insult your father or mother, your light will be snuffed out in total darkness.
Read all of Proverbs 20Proverbs 20:18 word by word
מַ֭חֲשָׁבוֹת בְּעֵצָ֣ה תִכּ֑וֹן וּ֝בְתַחְבֻּל֗וֹת עֲשֵׂ֣ה מִלְחָמָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 20:18
- Proverbs 15:22Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.
- Proverbs 24:6So don’t go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many advisers.
- Proverbs 25:8don’t be in a hurry to go to court. For what will you do in the end if your neighbor deals you a shameful defeat?
- Judges 1:1After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Which tribe should go first to attack the Canaanites?”
- Judges 9:29If I were in charge here, I would get rid of Abimelech. I would say to him, ‘Get some soldiers, and come out and fight!’”
- Judges 20:7Now then, all of you—the entire community of Israel—must decide here and now what should be done about this!”
- 2 Samuel 2:26Abner shouted down to Joab, “Must we always be killing each other? Don’t you realize that bitterness is the only result? When will you call off your men from chasing their Israelite brothers?”
- 2 Chronicles 25:17After consulting with his advisers, King Amaziah of Judah sent this challenge to Israel’s king Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz and grandson of Jehu: “Come and meet me in battle!”
- Luke 14:31“Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him?
Commentaries on Proverbs 20:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18With good advice make war, - Perhaps there is not a precept in this whole book so little regarded as this. Most of the wars that are undertaken are wars of injustice, ambition, aggrandizement, and caprice, which can have had no previous good counsel. A minister, who is perhaps neither a good nor a great man, counsels his king to make war; the cabinet must be brought into it, and a sufficient number out of the states of the kingdom gained over to support…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18Verse 18 Especially we need advice in spiritual warfare. The word and Spirit of God are the best counsellors in every point.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. (Compare Pr 15:22). Be careful and considerate in important plans.Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 20:18
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 20
- 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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries