Proverbs 26:20

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 26:20-22

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 of strife and so prevent the mischievous consequences of it. If then we would keep the peace, 1. We must not give ear to talebearers, for they feed the fire of contention with fuel; nay, they spread it with combustible matter; the tales they carry are fireballs. Those who... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 26:20

Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out ,.... Or "woods" F8 באפס עצים "deficientibus lignis", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "in deficientia lignorum", Michaelis; "quum expirarunt ligna", Schultens. ; where there is a large quantity of wood or fuel, the fire is kept up; but where there is little, scarce any or none at all, it goes out of course; So where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth ; or is silent F9 ישתק "silebit", Pagninus, Montanus, Mercerus,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 26:20

Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out - The tale-receiver and the tale-bearer are the agents of discord. If none received the slander in the first instance, it could not be propagated. Hence our proverb, "The receiver is as bad as the thief." And our laws treat them equally; for the receiver of stolen goods, knowing them to be stolen, is hanged, as well as he who stole them. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 26:17-28

A series of proverbs connected more or less with peacefulness and its opposite. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 26:20

Some proverbs follow concerning the slanderer. Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out. Where the wood fails, and that was the only fuel then used, the fire must go out. So where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth; comes to silence ( Proverbs 22:10 ). (For nirgan ," whisper," see on Proverbs 16:28 .) Septuagint, "With much wood fire groweth, but where there is not one discordant ( δίθυμος ), strife is at rest." read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 26:20

The fuel of strife I. STRIFE WILL DIE OUT IF IT BE NOT SUPPLIED WITH FRESH FUEL . The fire will not burn after the stock of wood is all exhausted. The quarrel will not continue if the angry feelings that rage in it are not fed by fresh provocations. The unhappy experience of most quarrels is that these provocations are too readily supplied. But if one party to a quarrel really wishes for peace, he can often obtain it by simply abstaining from maintaining his... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 26:20-28

Spite, cunning, and deceit I. THE TALE BEARER AND MISCHIEF MAKER . ( Proverbs 26:20-22 .) 1 . His inflammatory character . ( Proverbs 26:20 , Proverbs 26:21 .) He keeps alive quarrels which, but for his vice, would die down for want of fuel. It is easy to fire the imagination with tales of evil, not so easy to quench the flames thus kindled. If the character is odious, let us beware of countenancing it by opening our ears to scandal. Personal gossip has in our day... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Proverbs 26:20-22

Proverbs 26:20-22. Where no wood is, the fire goeth out: &c. As the fire will soon be extinguished if you take away the fuel that feeds it; so, where there is no tale-bearer To carry such reports from one to another as may provoke them to mutual anger, enmity, and contention; the strife ceaseth Animosity, hatred, and quarrels will die away. As coals to burning coals, &c. As dead coals laid on burning coals, and wood on fire, increase the heat and flame; so is a contentious... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Proverbs 26:1-28

Fools and troublemakers (26:1-28)Only a fool honours a fool, and only a fool curses another without cause. Such a curse cannot come true (26:1-2). People with wisdom know on which occasions to ignore a fool and on which occasions to answer him (3-5). Fools cannot be trusted. For them, proverbs are as useless as paralysed legs, and honour is as useless as a stone tied to the sling that is supposed to throw it out (6-8). Fools with a little knowledge can be dangerous. As employees, they can... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Proverbs 26:20

"For lack of wood the fire goeth out; And where there is no whisperer contention ceaseth. As coals are to hot embers, and wood is to fire, So is a contentious man to inflame strife. The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts."Malicious gossip is the subject here. Many a dangerous quarrel has been fed and encouraged by talebearers and gossips who, as we might say, added fuel to the fire.Proverbs 26:22 here is identical with Proverbs 18:8. See the... read more

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