Proverbs 17:14

Bible in Basic English (1941)

The start of fighting is like the letting out of water: so give up before it comes to blows.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

פּוֹטֵר מַיִם רֵאשִׁית מָדוֹן וְלִפְנֵי הִתְגַּלַּע הָרִיב נְטוֹשׁ

Transliteration

pôṭēr mayim rē'šît mādôn wə-lipnê hitgalla' hārîb nəṭôš

Grammar Details

• *pôṭēr*: participle, Qal - letting out/releasing
• *mayim*: noun, masculine plural - water
• *rē'šît*: noun, feminine singular construct - beginning of
• *mādôn*: noun, masculine singular - strife/dispute
• *wə-lipnê*: conjunction + preposition + construct form - and before
• *hitgalla'*: verb, Hithpael infinitive construct - being revealed/breaking out
• *hārîb*: definite article + noun, masculine singular - the dispute
• *nəṭôš*: verb, Qal imperative, masculine singular - leave/abandon

Word Meanings

• *pôṭēr*: letting out/releasing/setting free
• *mayim*: water/waters
• *rē'šît*: beginning/first/start
• *mādôn*: strife/contention/dispute
• *lipnê*: before/ahead of
• *hitgalla'*: being revealed/breaking out/erupting
• *rîb*: dispute/quarrel/legal case
• *nəṭôš*: leave/abandon/drop

Referenced Verses

• Prov 20:3 : 3 It is an honour for a man to keep from fighting, but the foolish are ever at war.
• Prov 25:8 : 8 Do not be quick to go to law about what you have seen, for what will you do in the end, when your neighbour has put you to shame?
• 1 Thess 4:11 : 11 And that you may take pride in being quiet and doing your business, working with your hands as we gave you orders;
• Jas 3:14-18 : 14 But if you have bitter envy in your heart and the desire to get the better of others, have no pride in this, talking falsely against what is true. 15 This wisdom is not from heaven, but is of the earth and the flesh and the Evil One. 16 For where envy is, and the desire to get the better of others, there is no order, but every sort of evil-doing. 17 But the wisdom which is from heaven is first holy, then gentle, readily giving way in argument, full of peace and mercy and good works, not doubting, not seeming other than it is. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace for those who make peace.
• 2 Tim 2:23-24 : 23 And put away foolish and uncontrolled questionings, seeing that they are a cause of trouble. 24 For it is not right for the Lord's servant to make trouble, but he is to be gentle to all, ready in teaching, putting up with wrong,
• Prov 26:21 : 21 Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.
• Prov 29:22 : 22 An angry man is the cause of fighting, and a man given to wrath does much wrong.
• Eccl 7:8-9 : 8 The end of a thing is better than its start, and a gentle spirit is better than pride. 9 Be not quick to let your spirit be angry; because wrath is in the heart of the foolish.
• Matt 5:39-41 : 39 But I say to you, Do not make use of force against an evil man; but to him who gives you a blow on the right side of your face let the left be turned. 40 And if any man goes to law with you and takes away your coat, do not keep back your robe from him. 41 And whoever makes you go one mile, go with him two.
• Acts 6:1-5 : 1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was increasing, protests were made by the Greek Jews against the Hebrews, because their widows were not taken care of in the distribution of food every day. 2 And the Apostles sent for all the disciples and said, It is not right for us to give up preaching the word of God in order to make distribution of food. 3 Take then from among you seven men of good name, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, to whom we may give control of this business. 4 Then we will give all our time to prayer and the teaching of the word. 5 And this saying was pleasing to all of them: and they made selection of Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip and Prochorus and Nicanor and Timon and Parmenas and Nicolas of Antioch, who had become a Jew:
• Acts 15:2-9 : 2 And after Paul and Barnabas had had no little argument and discussion with them, the brothers made a decision to send Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them to the Apostles and the rulers of the church at Jerusalem about this question. 3 So they, being sent on their way by the church, went through Phoenicia and Samaria, giving news of the salvation of the Gentiles, to the great joy of all the brothers. 4 And when they came to Jerusalem, they had a meeting with the church and the Apostles and the rulers, and they gave an account of all the things which God had done through them. 5 But some of the Pharisees, who were of the faith, got up and said, It is necessary for these to have circumcision and to keep the law of Moses. 6 And the Apostles and the rulers of the church came together and gave thought to the question. 7 And when there had been much discussion, Peter got up and said to them, My brothers, you have knowledge that some time back it was God's pleasure that by my mouth the good news might be given to the Gentiles so that they might have faith. 8 And God, the searcher of hearts, was a witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit even as he did to us; 9 Making no division between them and us, but making clean their hearts by faith. 10 Why then are you testing God, by putting on the neck of the disciples a yoke so hard that not even our fathers or we were strong enough for it? 11 But we have faith that we will get salvation through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same way as they. 12 And all the people were quiet while Barnabas and Paul gave an account of the signs and wonders which God had done among the Gentiles by them. 13 And when they had come to an end, James, answering, said, My brothers, give ear to me: 14 Symeon has given an account of how God was first pleased to take from among the Gentiles a people for himself. 15 And this is in agreement with the words of the prophets, as it is said, 16 After these things I will come back, and will put up the tent of David which has been broken down, building up again its broken parts and making it complete: 17 So that the rest of men may make search for the Lord, and all the Gentiles on whom my name is named, 18 Says the Lord, who has made these things clear from the earliest times. 19 For this reason my decision is, that we do not put trouble in the way of those who from among the Gentiles are turned to God; 20 But that we give them orders to keep themselves from things offered to false gods, and from the evil desires of the body, and from the flesh of animals put to death in ways against the law, and from blood. 21 For Moses, from times long past, has his preachers in every town, reading his law in the Synagogues every Sabbath.
• Rom 12:18 : 18 As far as it is possible for you be at peace with all men.
• Gen 13:8-9 : 8 Then Abram said to Lot, Let there be no argument between me and you, and between my herdmen and your herdmen, for we are brothers. 9 Is not all the land before you? then let us go our separate ways: if you go to the left, I will go to the right; or if you take the right, I will go to the left.
• Judg 8:1-3 : 1 And the men of Ephraim came and said to him, Why did you not send for us when you went to war against Midian? And they said sharp and angry words to him. 2 And he said to them, What have I done in comparison with you? Is not that which Ephraim took up after the grape-cutting better than all the grapes which Abiezer got in from the grape-cutting? 3 God has given into your hands the chiefs of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; what have I been able to do in comparison with you? And when he said this, their feeling about him became kinder.
• Judg 12:1-6 : 1 Now the men of Ephraim came together and took up arms and went over to Zaphon; and they said to Jephthah, Why did you go over to make war against the children of Ammon without sending for us to go with you? Now we will put your house on fire over you. 2 And Jephthah said to them, I and my people were in danger, and the children of Ammon were very cruel to us, and when I sent for you, you gave me no help against them. 3 So when I saw that there was no help to be had from you, I put my life in my hand and went over against the children of Ammon, and the Lord gave them into my hands: why then have you come up to me this day to make war on me? 4 Then Jephthah got together all the men of Gilead and made war on Ephraim; and the men of Gilead overcame Ephraim. 5 And the Gileadites took the crossing-places of Jordan against the Ephraimites; and when any of the men of Ephraim who had gone in flight said, let me go over; the men of Gilead said to him, Are you an Ephraimite? And if he said, No; 6 Then they said to him, Now say Shibboleth; and he said Sibboleth, and was not able to say it in the right way; then they took him and put him to death at the crossing-places of Jordan; and at that time forty-two thousand Ephraimites were put to death.
• 2 Sam 2:14-17 : 14 And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men give a test of their strength before us. And Joab said, Let them do so. 15 So they got up and went over by number: twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth and twelve of the servants of David. 16 And every one got the other by the head, driving his sword into the other's side, so they all went down together: and that place was named the Field of Sides, and it is in Gibeon. 17 And there was hard fighting that day; and Abner and the men of Israel gave way before the servants of David.
• 2 Sam 19:41-20:22 : 41 Then the men of Israel came to the king and said, Why have our countrymen of Judah taken you away in secret and come over Jordan with the king and all his family, because all his people are David's men? 42 And all the men of Judah gave this answer to the men of Israel, Because the king is our near relation: why then are you angry about this? have we taken any of the king's food, or has he given us any offering? 43 And in answer to the men of Judah, the men of Israel said, We have ten parts in the king, and we are the first in order of birth: why did you make nothing of us? and were we not the first to make suggestions for getting the king back? And the words of the men of Judah were more violent than the words of the men of Israel. 1 Now by chance there was present a good-for-nothing person named Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he, sounding the horn, said, We have no part in David, or any interest in the son of Jesse: let every man go to his tent, O Israel. 2 So all the men of Israel, turning away from David, went after Sheba, the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah were true to their king, going with him from Jordan as far as Jerusalem. 3 And David came to his house at Jerusalem: and the king took the ten women to whom he had given the care of the house, and had them shut up, and gave them the necessaries of life, but did not go near them. So they were shut up till the day of their death, living as widows. 4 Then the king said to Amasa, Get all the men of Judah together, and in three days be here yourself. 5 So Amasa went to get all the men of Judah together, but he took longer than the time David had given him. 6 And David said to Abishai, Sheba, the son of Bichri, will do us more damage than Absalom did; so take some of your lord's servants and go after him, before he makes himself safe in the walled towns, and gets away before our eyes. 7 So there went after Abishai, Joab and the Cherethites and the Pelethites and all the fighting-men; they went out of Jerusalem to overtake Sheba, the son of Bichri. 8 When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came face to face with them. Now Joab had on his war-dress, and round him a band from which his sword was hanging in its cover; and while he was walking, it came out, falling to the earth. 9 And Joab said to Amasa, Is it well, my brother? And with his right hand he took him by the hair of his chin to give him a kiss. 10 But Amasa did not see danger from the sword which was now in Joab's left hand, and Joab put it through his stomach so that his inside came out on to the earth, and he did not give him another blow. So Joab and his brother Abishai went on after Sheba, the son of Bichri. 11 And one of Joab's young men, taking his place at Amasa's side, said, Whoever is for Joab and for David, let him go after Joab! 12 And Amasa was stretched out in a pool of blood in the middle of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people were stopping, he took Amasa out of the highway and put him in a field, with a cloth over him, when he saw that everyone who went by came to a stop. 13 When he had been taken off the road, all the people went on after Joab in search of Sheba, the son of Bichri. 14 And Sheba went through all the tribes of Israel, to Abel of Beth-maacah; and all the Bichrites came together and went in after him. 15 And Joab and his men got him shut up in Abel of Beth-maacah, and put up an earthwork against the town: and all Joab's men did their best to get the wall broken down. 16 Then a wise woman got up on the wall, and crying out from the town, said, Give ear, give ear; say now to Joab, Come near, so that I may have talk with you. 17 And he came near, and the woman said, Are you Joab? And he said in answer, I am. Then she said, Give ear to your servant's words. And he said, I am giving ear. 18 Then she said, In the old days, there was a saying, Let them put the question in Abel and in Dan, saying, Has what was ordered by men of good faith in Israel ever come to an end? 19 Your purpose is the destruction of a mother-town in Israel: why would you put an end to the heritage of the Lord? 20 And Joab, answering her, said, Far, far be it from me to be a cause of death or destruction; 21 Not so: but a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, Sheba, son of Bichri, by name, has taken up arms against the king, against David: give up this man only, and I will go away from the town. And the woman said to Joab, His head will be dropped over the wall to you. 22 Then the woman in her wisdom had talk with all the town. And they had Sheba's head cut off and sent out to Joab. And he had the horn sounded, and sent them all away from the town, every man to his tent. And Joab went back to Jerusalem to the king.
• 2 Chr 10:14-16 : 14 But gave them the answer put forward by the young men, saying, My father made your yoke hard, but I will make it harder; my father gave you punishment with whips, but I will give it with snakes. 15 So the king did not give ear to the people; for this came about by the purpose of God, so that the Lord might give effect to his word which he had said by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. 16 And when all Israel saw that the king would give no attention to them, the people in answer said to the king, What part have we in David? what is our heritage in the son of Jesse? every man to your tents, O Israel; now see to your house, David. So all Israel went to their tents.
• 2 Chr 13:17 : 17 And Abijah and his people put them to death with great destruction: five hundred thousand of the best of Israel were put to the sword.
• 2 Chr 25:17-24 : 17 Then Amaziah, king of Judah, acting on the suggestion of his servants, sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us have a meeting face to face. 18 And Joash, king of Israel, sent to Amaziah, king of Judah, saying, The thorn-tree in Lebanon sent to the cedar in Lebanon, saying, Give your daughter to my son for a wife: and a beast from the woodland in Lebanon went by, crushing the thorn under his feet. 19 You say, See, I have overcome Edom; and your heart is lifted up with pride: now keep in your country; why do you make causes of trouble, putting yourself, and Judah with you, in danger of downfall? 20 But Amaziah gave no attention; and this was the purpose of God, so that he might give them up into the hands of Joash, because they had gone after the gods of Edom. 21 And so Joash, king of Israel, went up; and he and Amaziah, king of Judah, came face to face at Beth-shemesh in Judah. 22 And Judah was overcome before Israel, and they went in flight, every man to his tent. 23 And Joash, king of Israel, made Amaziah, king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, prisoner at Beth-shemesh, and took him to Jerusalem; and he had the wall of Jerusalem pulled down from the doorway of Ephraim to the doorway in the angle, four hundred cubits. 24 And he took all the gold and silver and all the vessels which were in the house of the Lord, under the care of Obed-edom, and all the wealth from the king's house, as well as those whose lives would be the price of broken faith, and went back to Samaria.
• 2 Chr 28:6 : 6 For Pekah, the son of Remaliah, in one day put to death a hundred and twenty thousand men of Judah, all of them good fighting-men; because they had given up the Lord, the God of their fathers.
• Prov 13:10 : 10 The only effect of pride is fighting; but wisdom is with the quiet in spirit.
• Prov 14:29 : 29 He who is slow to be angry has great good sense; but he whose spirit is over-quick gives support to what is foolish.
• Prov 15:1 : 1 By a soft answer wrath is turned away, but a bitter word is a cause of angry feelings.
• Prov 16:32 : 32 He who is slow to be angry is better than a man of war, and he who has control over his spirit than he who takes a town.
• Prov 17:19 : 19 The lover of fighting is a lover of sin: he who makes high his doorway is looking for destruction.
• Prov 19:11 : 11 A man's good sense makes him slow to wrath, and the overlooking of wrongdoing is his glory.