Worthy.Bible » ASV » Proverbs » Chapter 15 » Verse 16-17

Proverbs 15:16-17 American Standard (ASV)

16 Better is little, with the fear of Jehovah, Than great treasure and trouble therewith.

17 Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is, Than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Proverbs 15

Commentary on Proverbs 15 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary


Verses 1-6

We take these verses together as forming a group which begins with a proverb regarding the good and evil which flows from the tongue, and closes with a proverb regarding the treasure in which blessing is found, and that in which no blessing is found.

Proverbs 15:1

1 A soft answer turneth away wrath,

And a bitter word stirreth up anger.

In the second line, the common word for anger ( אף , from the breathing with the nostrils, Proverbs 14:17) is purposely placed, but in the first, that which denotes anger in the highest degree ( חמה from יחם , cogn. חמם , Arab. hamiya , to glow, like שׁנה from ישׁן ): a mild, gentle word turns away the heat of anger ( excandescentiam ), puts it back, cf. Proverbs 25:15. The Dagesh in רּך follows the rule of the דחיק , i.e. , of the close connection of a word terminating with the accented eh, aah, ah with the following word ( Michlol 63b). The same is the meaning of the Latin proverb:

Frangitur ira gravis

Quando est responsio suavis