Proverbs 26:3
A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the back of dullards.
The Emphasised Bible by J. B. Rotherham
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 sparrow in wandering, as a swallow in flying, so, a causeless curse, shall not alight.
4Do not answer a dullard, according to his folly, lest, even thou thyself, become like him;
Cross References
Judges 8:5So he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread to the people that are following me; for, faint, they are, and, I, am in pursuit of Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.
Proverbs 10:13In the lips of the intelligent, is found wisdom, but, a rod, is for the back of him that lacketh sense.
Proverbs 19:25The scoffer, thou shalt smite, and, the simple, will beware, but correct a man of intelligence—he will understand teaching.
Proverbs 27:22Though thou pound a fool in a mortar, amidst grain, with a pestle, his folly, will not depart from him.
2 Corinthians 10:6And when we hold ourselves, in readiness, to avenge all disobedience, as soon as 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 →