Add parallel Print Page Options

19 It is better to live[a] in the wilderness[b]
than with a quarrelsome and easily provoked[c] woman.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 21:19 tn The Hebrew form שֶׁבֶת (shevet) is the infinitive construct of יָשַׁב (yashav), functioning as the subject of the sentence.
  2. Proverbs 21:19 sn A wilderness (מִדְבָּר, midbar) is too dry for permanent settlements since it receives less than twelve inches of rain annually. It may be able to support enough vegetation for bedouin to use on a temporary basis. In this context it represents a harsh environment, but a quiet place. Cf. 21:9 and 25:24.
  3. Proverbs 21:19 tn The Hebrew noun כַּעַס (kaʿas) means “vexation; anger.” The woman is not only characterized by a quarrelsome spirit, but also anger—she is easily vexed (cf. NAB “vexatious”; NASB “vexing”; ASV, NRSV “fretful”). The translation “easily-provoked” conveys this idea well.