Proverbs 26:21
Coal to burning coals, and wood to fire, And a man of contentions to kindle strife.
Young's Literal Translation
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
20Without wood is fire going out, And without a tale-bearer, contention ceaseth,
Cross References
2 Samuel 20:1And there hath been called there a man of worthlessness, and his name [is] Sheba, son of Bichri, a Benjamite, and he bloweth with a trumpet, and saith, 'We have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; each to his tents, O Israel.'
1 Kings 12:20And it cometh to pass, at all Israel's hearing that Jeroboam hath returned, that they send and call him unto the company, and cause him to reign over all Israel; none hath been after the house of David save the tribe of Judah alone.
Proverbs 10:12Hatred awaketh contentions, And over all transgressions love covereth.
Proverbs 29:22An angry man stirreth 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 →