Proverbs 26:21
Coal to burning coals, and wood to fire, || And a man of contentions to kindle strife.
Literal Standard Version
In The King James Version
As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.
In Context
20Fire is going out without wood, || And contention ceases without a tale-bearer,
Cross References
2 Samuel 20:1And there happened to be a man of worthlessness there, and his name [is] Sheba, son of Bichri, a Benjamite, and he blows with a horn and says, “We have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; each [goes] to his tents, O Israel.”
1 Kings 12:20And it comes to pass, at all Israel hearing that Jeroboam has returned, that they send and call him to the congregation, and cause him to reign over all Israel; none has been after the house of David except the tribe of Judah alone.
Proverbs 10:12Hatred awakens contentions, || And love covers over all transgressions.
Proverbs 29:22An angry man stirs up contention, || And a furious man is multiplying transgression.
Matthew Henry on Proverbs 26:21-23
20 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. 21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife. 22 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. Contention is as a fire; it heats the spirit, burns up all that is good, and puts families and societies into a flame. Now here we are told how that fire is commonly kindled and kept burning, that we may avoid the occasions… Read the whole commentary →