Proverbs 26:3
A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the back of fools.
Darby Translation
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
2As the sparrow for flitting about, as the swallow for flying, so a curse undeserved shall not come.
4Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
Cross References
Judges 8:5And he said to the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread to the people that follow me, for they are faint; and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.
Proverbs 10:13In the lips of an intelligent [man] wisdom is found; but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.
Proverbs 19:25Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware; reprove the intelligent, and he will understand knowledge.
Proverbs 27:22If thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his folly depart from him.
2 Corinthians 10:6and having in readiness to avenge all disobedience when your obedience shall have been 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 →