Proverbs 29:9

If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
wise	חָכָ֗ם cha.Kham	H2450	wise · adjective, masculine singular absolute
man	אִֽישׁ 'ish-	H376	a man as an individual or a male person · noun, common masculine singular absolute
contendeth	נִ֭שְׁפָּט Nish.pot	H8199	to judge · verb, niphal active participle, masculine singular absolute
foolish	אֱוִ֑יל 'e.Vil	H191	(figuratively) silly · adjective, masculine singular absolute
man	אִ֣ישׁ 'ish	H376	a man as an individual or a male person · noun, common masculine singular absolute
rage	וְרָגַ֥ז ve.ra.Gaz	H7264	to quiver (with any violent emotion · conjunction + verb, qal sequential perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
laugh	וְ֝שָׂחַ֗ק ve.sa.Chak	H7832	to laugh (in pleasure or detraction) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
rest	נָֽחַת Na.chat	H5183	a descent · noun, common feminine singular absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Proverbs 26:4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
Ecclesiastes 10:13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again…
Matthew 11:17-19 And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 29:9

A wise man is here advised not to set his wit to a fool's, not to dispute with him, or by contending with him to think either of fastening reason upon him or gaining right from him: If a wise man contend with a wise man, he may hope to be understood, and, as far as he has reason and equity on his side, to carry his point, at least to bring the controversy to a head and make it issue amicably; but, if he contend with a foolish man, there is no rest; he will see no end of it, nor will he have any satisfaction in it, but must expect to be always uneasy. 1. Whether the foolish man he contends with rage or laugh, whether he take angrily or scornfully what is said to him, whether he rail at it or…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 29:9

contendeth--that is, in law. whether . . . laugh--The fool, whether angry or good-humored, is unsettled; or referring the words to the wise man, the sense is, that all his efforts, severe or gentle, are unavailing to pacify the fool.

John Gill on Proverbs 29:9

If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man,.... Enters into a controversy with him, either by word or writing, in order to convince him of his folly and wickedness, of his errors and mistakes; whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest; that is, either whether the fool is angry with the wise man, and rages at him and abuses him, and calls him names, or laughs at him, and scoffs at all his arguments, reasons, and advice; yet the wise man does not cease from proceeding in the contest with him; or he is not dejected and cast down, and discouraged; or, as the Targum is, "he is not broken;'' but patiently bears his wrath fury, his scoffs and jeers: or else whether the wise man deals roughly o…

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Keil & Delitzsch on Proverbs 29:9

9 If a wise man has to contend with a fool, He the fool rageth and laugheth, and hath no rest. Among the old translators, Jerome and Luther take the "wise man" as subject even of the second line, and that in all its three members: vir sapiens si cum stulto contenderit, sive irascatur sive reideat, non inveniet requiem. Thus Schultens, C. B. Michaelis, Umbreit, Ewald, Elster, and also Fleischer: "The doubled Vav is correlative, as at Exo 21:16; Lev 5:3, and expresses the perfect sameness in respect of the effect, here of the want of effect. If the wise man, when he disputes with a fool, becomes angry, or jests, he will have no rest, i.e., he will never bring it to pass that the fool shall cea…

The Church Fathers

A wise man contending with a fool, etc. A wise teacher, if he contends with an unbelieving and obstinate man, whether he speaks of the torments of the reprobates or the joys of the good, labors in vain against the senseless; whether he advises the coverings of repentance, or speaks of the rewards of good work, he is not heard by the fool. Hence the apostles also said to the Jews, We lamented to you, and you did not mourn; we sang to you, and you did not dance (Matt. XII).
— Bede, Commentary on Proverbs

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Anger · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Fool · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Proverbs 29:9

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 29:9

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 29:9

John Gill on Proverbs 29:9

Keil & Delitzsch on Proverbs 29:9

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Proverbs 29:9

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 29:9

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 29:9

John Gill on Proverbs 29:9

Keil & Delitzsch on Proverbs 29:9

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Proverbs 29:5

Rashi on Proverbs 29:9