Proverbs 26:18 kjv
As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,
Proverbs 26:18 nkjv
Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death,
Proverbs 26:18 niv
Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death
Proverbs 26:18 esv
Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death
Proverbs 26:18 nlt
Just as damaging
as a madman shooting a deadly weapon
Proverbs 26 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Prov 26:19 | so is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, "I was only joking!" | Direct explanation of the preceding verse |
| Ps 52:2-4 | Your tongue devises destruction... like a sharpened razor... You love evil more than good, falsehood more than speaking what is right. | Malicious deceit and destructive speech |
| Ps 57:4 | my soul is among lions... whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongue is a sharp sword. | Destructive, sharp words as weapons |
| Ps 64:3 | who sharpen their tongue like a sword, who aim bitter words like arrows, | Tongue as a weapon, words as bitter arrows |
| Jas 3:6 | The tongue is a fire... It corrupts the whole body... and is set on fire by hell. | The tongue's immense destructive power |
| Matt 12:36-37 | every careless word that people speak, they shall give an account of it on the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. | Accountability for every spoken word |
| Prov 10:23 | Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool, but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding. | Foolish delight in evil actions |
| Prov 14:17 | A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of wicked intentions is hated. | Foolish, ill-intentioned behavior |
| Prov 11:9 | With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered. | Destructive potential of ungodly speech |
| Prov 12:18 | There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. | Rash, hurtful words likened to sword thrusts |
| Prov 12:19 | Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is only for a moment. | Contrast between truth and lying/deceit |
| Prov 13:5 | A righteous man hates falsehood, but a wicked man brings shame and disgrace. | Hatred of falsehood as a mark of righteousness |
| Eph 4:25 | Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. | Exhortation to honesty and truth |
| Col 3:9 | Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices. | Warning against lying among believers |
| Gal 6:7 | Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. | Reaping the consequences of one's actions |
| Prov 17:9 | He who covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends. | Contrasting love covering sin vs. repeating hurtful words |
| Prov 25:18 | Like a war club, a sword, or a sharp arrow is a man who gives false testimony against his neighbor. | False testimony as destructive weapons |
| Jer 9:8 | Their tongue is a deadly arrow; It speaks deceit. One speaks peaceably with his neighbor, but in his heart he sets a trap. | Deceitful words as deadly arrows and traps |
| Hos 7:6 | Their baker sleeps all night; in the morning he burns like a flaming fire. All of them are hot as an oven and devour their judges. | Consuming malice likened to fire |
| Jude 1:12-13 | These are hidden reefs... wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shameful foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever. | Malicious individuals are destructive |
| 1 Pet 4:8 | Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. | Love as a contrast to malice and destructive actions |
| Zech 8:16 | These are the things which you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and make peace in your gates. | Call to speak truth and promote peace |
Proverbs 26 verses
Proverbs 26 18 Meaning
Proverbs 26:18 describes an individual who recklessly and maliciously harms others with deceitful words or actions, much like a deranged person would unleash destructive weapons such as firebrands, arrows, and agents of death. This vivid imagery illustrates the devastating impact of one who inflicts injury, then attempts to excuse their harmful behavior as mere sport or a harmless joke. It highlights the profound irresponsibility and destructive nature of such conduct.
Proverbs 26 18 Context
Proverbs chapter 26 is largely concerned with the nature and behavior of fools, sluggards, and mischievous individuals, providing keen observations and warnings about their destructive habits. Verses 17-28 form a distinct section focusing on disruptive and deceptive characters. Specifically, Proverbs 26:18-19 are inextricably linked, with verse 19 serving as the direct interpretive application of the metaphor presented in verse 18. This passage contrasts such destructive jest with the responsible use of speech and the cultivation of truthful relationships. Historically, this aligns with the wisdom tradition that valued prudent speech and integrity, likely serving as a strong corrective against a societal inclination to excuse harmful words or deeds if framed as a "joke," a behavior antithetical to covenant faithfulness and community harmony.
Proverbs 26 18 Word analysis
- Like (כְּ - kə): This prefix functions as a comparative, meaning "as," "like," or "as if." It sets up a strong analogy, inviting the hearer to understand the subsequent action by comparing it to a vivid and extreme scenario.
- madman (מִתְלַהְלֵל - mitlahelēl): From the root ה.ל.ל. (halal), which can mean "to praise," but in the Hithpael stem, as here, it signifies "to act mad," "to rave," "to feign madness," or "to play the fool." This highlights the irrational, uncontrolled, and sometimes feigned nature of the individual's harmful actions. The "madman" is either genuinely deranged or consciously pretends to be so to justify his recklessness.
- who throws (יֹרֶה - yōreh): A participle from the verb יָרָה (yarah), meaning "to cast," "to shoot," or "to throw." It implies an active, intentional, and uncontrolled discharge of projectiles, reinforcing the destructive and indiscriminate nature of the "madman's" actions.
- firebrands (זִקִּים - ziqqīm): These are "fiery darts" or "firebrands," burning arrows or torches used as incendiary devices. This term emphasizes the destructive, ruinous, and inflammatory potential of the action, signifying not just injury but also widespread conflagration or lasting damage.
- arrows (חִצִּים - chitzzīm): The standard Hebrew term for "arrows." These represent direct, sharp, piercing instruments of harm. Coupled with "firebrands," they indicate both overt injury and covert, penetrating damage.
- and death (וָמָוֶת - vāmāwet): This literal translation "and death" is stark and powerful. It is not just damage or injury, but actions with fatal or ruinous consequences. The progression from firebrands to arrows to death shows an escalation in destructive impact, suggesting the gravity of the "joke" that results in profound and perhaps irreparable harm. The combination indicates the absolute devastation caused, akin to killing.
Words-group analysis:
- "Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death": This entire phrase presents a potent metaphor. The comparison to a "madman" implies irrationality, a lack of moral restraint, or a deliberate feigning of foolishness to escape accountability. The progression of weapons—"firebrands" (incendiary, causing widespread destruction), "arrows" (direct, piercing injury), and "death" (ultimate ruin)—symbolically escalates the degree of harm. This illustrates that the actions described are not trivial but gravely destructive, having wide-reaching and final consequences. The metaphor emphasizes the severe recklessness and malevolent intent behind such behavior, leading to irreversible damage as if it were fatal.
Proverbs 26 18 Bonus section
The rhetorical force of Proverbs 26:18-19 lies in its immediate juxtaposition. Verse 18 presents a horrifying image of a "madman" wreaking havoc, while verse 19 immediately reveals that this terrifying image is a direct metaphor for someone who wounds a neighbor with deceit and dismisses it as a joke. This structure powerfully condemns the casual cruelty of those who hide malice behind "humor," exposing their inner disregard for others' well-being. The emphasis is on the consequences, irrespective of intent. The imagery of "firebrands" (ziqqim) uniquely conveys inflammatory effects, signifying words that ignite strife, akin to slander or calumny that spreads and destroys reputation or peace, rather than just single-point injury from an arrow. The "death" here is a figure of speech for complete devastation, suggesting an annihilation of trust, relationship, or reputation, highlighting the profound spiritual and social death such actions can inflict within the community of God.
Proverbs 26 18 Commentary
Proverbs 26:18 paints a chilling picture of an individual whose harmful words and deeds are inflicted under the guise of levity or jest. The "madman" analogy is not necessarily about clinical insanity, but rather about a dangerous, uncontrolled impulsiveness or a deliberate act of feigned folly to avoid responsibility. Just as a madman indiscriminately hurls deadly projectiles—flaming brands for widespread destruction, arrows for direct wounds, and literally "death" implying fatal impact—so too does the one who speaks deceitfully or maliciously and then disavows it as a "joke." The passage critiques a profoundly irresponsible and often cruel character that finds sport in damaging others, refusing to acknowledge the severe, lasting consequences of their "play." Such an attitude disregards the sacredness of truth and the relational fabric of community, ultimately sowing discord and ruin. This wisdom warns against treating the integrity of communication and personal well-being lightly.