18 Like a madman shooting firebrands and deadly arrows,
19 so is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”
Focused Passage
Proverbs 26:18-19
Fools, Sluggards, Quarrels, Gossip, Deceitful Speech, and the Ruin of Unrestrained Folly
The chapter moves from an extended warning about fools, to the self-deception of sluggards, to the danger of meddling and harmful joking, to gossip as conflict fuel, and finally to the concealed malice of lying and flattering speech.
Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources
Study Helps
References and Original Words
Verse 18
Cross-references
Original words
Like a madman כְּֽ֭מִתְלַהְלֵהַּ H3856 Preposition-k | Verb - Hitpael - Participle - masculine singular shooting הַיֹּרֶ֥ה H3384 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular firebrands זִקִּ֗ים H2131 Noun - masculine plural and deadly וָמָֽוֶת׃ H4194 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular arrows חִצִּ֥ים H2671 Noun - masculine plural
Verse 19
Cross-references
Original words
so כֵּֽן־ H3651 Adverb is the man אִ֭ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular who deceives רִמָּ֣ה H7411 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker his neighbor רֵעֵ֑הוּ H7453 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular and says וְ֝אָמַ֗ר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular I אָֽנִי׃ H589 Pronoun - first person common singular was only הֲֽלֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle joking מְשַׂחֵ֥ק H7832 Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular