Proverbs 26:3

A whip for a horse, and a snaffle for an ass, and a rod for the back of fools.

Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner, 1752)

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 a bird flying to other places, and a sparrow going here or there: so a curse uttered without cause shall come upon a man. As a bird, etc... The meaning is, that a curse uttered without cause shall do no harm to the person that is cursed, but will return upon him that curseth, as whithersoever a bird flies, it returns to its own nest.

4Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou be made like him. Answer not a fool, etc... Viz., so as to imitate him but only so as to reprove his folly.

Read all of Proverbs 26

Cross References

Judges 8:5And he said to the men of Soccoth: Give, I beseech you, bread to the people that is with me, for they are faint: that we may pursue Zebee, and Salmana, the kings of Madian.

Proverbs 10:13In the lips of the wise is wisdom found: and a rod on the back of him that wanteth sense.

Proverbs 19:25The wicked man being scourged, the fool shall be wiser: but if thou rebuke a wise man, he will understand discipline.

Proverbs 27:22Though thou shouldst bray a fool in the mortar, as when a pestle striketh upon sodden barley, his folly would not be taken from him.

2 Corinthians 10:6And having in readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be 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 →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Proverbs 26:3