Proverbs 17:12
WEB
Let a bear robbed of her cubs meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.
BSB
It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.
KJV
Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
H6298
v — come in contact with, concur
Derivation: a primitive root;
to come in contact with, whether by accident or violence; figuratively, to concur
KJV: meet (with, together).
vb — meet
[פָּגַשׁ] vb. meet, encounter
Qal meet
Niph. meet together, each other
Pi. intens. they keep encountering darkness in the daytime.
H1677
n — bear
Derivation: or (fully) דּוֹב; from 1680;
the bear (as slow)
KJV: bear.
n.m — bear
דֹּב n.m., f. bear (from soft or gliding motion)
H7909
a — bereaved
Derivation: or שַׁכֻּל; from 7921;
bereaved
KJV: barren, bereaved (robbed) of children (whelps).
adj — bereaved
שַׁכּוּל adj. bereaved, robbed of offspring
H376
n-m — man
Derivation: contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant);
a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
KJV: also, another, any (man), a certain, champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), none, one, people, person, steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy. Compare 802.
n.m — man
אִישׁ 2166 n.m. man (= vir)
H408
adv — not, nothing
Derivation: a negative particle (akin to 3808);
not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing
KJV: nay, neither, + never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.
adv. of negation — not
אַל adv. of negation, denying however, not objectively as a fact, but subjectively as a wish, expressing therefore a deprecation or prohibition
H3684
n-m — fat, stupid, silly
Derivation: from 3688;
properly, fat, i.e. (figuratively) stupid or silly
KJV: fool(-ish).
n.m — stupid fellow
כְּסִיל 70 n.m. stupid fellow, dullard, fool
H200
n-f — silliness
Derivation: from the same as 191;
silliness
KJV: folly, foolishly(-ness).
n.f — folly
אִוֶּ֫לֶת 25 n.f. folly
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Verse 12
Proverbs 17:12
Note, 1. A passionate man is a brutish man. However at other times he may have some wisdom, take him in his passion ungoverned, and he is a fool in his folly; those are fools in whose bosom anger rests and in whose countenance anger rages. He has put off man, and is become like a bear, a raging bear, a bear robbed of her whelps; he is as fond of the gratifications of his lusts and passions as a bear of her whelps (which, though ugly, are her own), as eager in the pursuit of them as she is in quest of her whelps when they are missing, and as full of indignation if crossed in the pursuit. 2. He is a dangerous man, falls foul of every one that stands in his way, though innocent, though his friend, as a bear robbed of her whelps sets upon the first man she meets as the robber. Ira furor brevis est - Anger is temporary madness. One may more easily stop, escape, or guard against an enraged bear, than an outrageous angry man. Let us therefore watch over our own passions (lest they get head and do mischief) and so consult our own honour; and let us avoid the company of furious men, and get out of their way when they are in their fury, and so consult our own safety. Currenti cede furori - Give place unto wrath.