Focused Passage

Proverbs 27:17

Faithful Friendship, Honest Rebuke, Guarded Praise, Wise Stewardship, and the Testing of the Heart

The chapter moves from humility before tomorrow and restraint in praise, to anger, jealousy, rebuke, and friendship, to appetite and neighborly loyalty, to prudence, surety, and speech timing, to relational sharpening and service, to the heart's reflection and testing by praise, and finally to careful stewardship of flocks, fields, and household provision.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

17As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 17

Original words

As ironבַּרְזֶ֣לH1270Noun - masculine singularsharpensיָ֑חַדH2300Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singularironבְּבַרְזֶ֣לH1270Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singularso one manוְ֝אִ֗ישׁH376Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singularsharpensיַ֣חַדH2300Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular. . .פְּנֵֽי־H6440Noun - masculine plural constructanotherרֵעֵֽהוּ׃H7453Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Hebrew sharpens the face of another or sharpens the countenance of a friend

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.