A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
What does Proverbs 15:1 mean?
A right cause will be better pleaded with meekness than with passion. Nothing stirs up anger like grievous words.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside Proverbs 15:1-2 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Proverbs 15:1
A soft answer turneth away wrath,.... Mild words, gentle expressions, delivered with kindness and tenderness, humility and submission; these will work upon a man's passions, weaken his resentments, and break and scatter the storm of wrath raised in his breast, just breaking forth in a very boisterous and blustering manner; so high winds are sometimes laid by soft showers.
Key words
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A soft answer turneth away wrath,.
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A soft answer turneth away wrath,.
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A soft answer turneth away wrath,.
Context in Proverbs 15
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Proverbs 15 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as Solomonic proverb collections. Proverbs offers compact instruction on speech, work, wealth, friendship, sex, discipline, justice, and wisdom as a way of life before God. Read this chapter with the wider themes of wisdom, fear of the Lord, and speech in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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Passages on righteous anger, sinful wrath, self-control, slow anger, and how Scripture teaches people to handle fury without being ruled by it.
Passages on compassion, tender-heartedness, the kindness of God, and practical instructions to show kindness to others.
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Bible verses about justice and mercy
Key texts on public righteousness, neighbor-love, social ethics, compassion, and the prophetic refusal to separate worship from justice.