Proverbs 26:3
A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools.
A Conservative Version
In The King James Version
A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back.
In Context
4Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like to him.
Cross References
Judges 8:5And he said to the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.
Proverbs 10:13In the lips of him who has discernment wisdom is found, but a rod is for the back of him who is void of understanding.
Proverbs 19:25Smite a scoffer, and a simple man will learn prudence. And reprove him who has understanding, [and] he will understand knowledge.
Proverbs 27:22Though thou should pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, yet his foolishness will not depart from him.
2 Corinthians 10:6and having in readiness to avenge every disobedience, whenever your obedience is fulfilled.
Matthew Henry on Proverbs 26:3
2 As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come. Here is, 1. The folly of passion. It makes men scatter causeless curses, wishing ill to others upon presumption that they are bad and have done ill, when either they mistake the person or misunderstand the fact, or they call evil good and good evil. Give honour to a fool, and he thunders out his anathemas against all that he is disgusted with, right or wrong. Great men, when wicked, think they have a privilege to keep… Read the whole commentary →