Proverbs 29:9
WEB
If a wise man goes to court with a foolish man, the fool rages or scoffs, and there is no peace.
BSB
If a wise man goes to court with a fool, there will be raving and laughing with no resolution.
KJV
If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest.
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
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)
H2450
a — wise
Derivation: from 2449;
wise, (i.e. intelligent, skilful or artful)
KJV: cunning (man), subtil, (un-), wise((hearted), man).
adj — wise
חָכָם adj. wise
1. skilful in technical work
2. wise in the administration of affairs
3. shrewd, crafty, cunning
4. pl. class of learned and shrewd men, incl. astrologers, magicians and the like
5. prudent
6. wise, ethically and religiously
H8199
v — judge, sentence, vindicate, punish, govern, litigate
Derivation: a primitive root;
to judge, i.e. pronounce sentence (for or against); by implication, to vindicate or punish; by extenssion, to govern; passively, to litigate (literally or figuratively)
KJV: avenge, × that condemn, contend, defend, execute (judgment), (be a) judge(-ment), × needs, plead, reason, rule.
vb — judge
שָׁפַט 185 vb. judge, govern
Qal
1. act as law-giver, judge, governor
2. specif. decide controversy, discriminate betw. persons, in civil, political, domestic and religious questions
3. execute judgment
Niph.
1. recipr., enter into controversy, plead
2. pass. be judged
Pô‛el = my opponent-at-law
H854
prep — nearness, near, with, by, at, among
Derivation: probably from 579;
properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc.
KJV: against, among, before, by, for, from, in(-to), (out) of, with. Often with another prepositional prefix.
prep — with
אֵת, prep. with—prep. denoting proximity
1. Of companionship, together with
2. Of localities
3. אֵת פּ׳ denotes specially
a. in one's possession or keeping
b. in one's knowledge or memory
4. מֵאֵת from proximity with
Note. אֵת expresses closer association than עִם: hence while מֵעִם sts. denotes hardly more than from the surroundings or belongings of, מֵאֵת expresses from close proximity to.
H191
a-m — silly
Derivation: from an unused root (meaning to be perverse);
(figuratively) silly
KJV: fool(-ish) (man).
adj — foolish
אֱוִיל 26 adj. foolish
H7264
v — quiver
Derivation: a primitive root;
to quiver (with any violent emotion, especially anger or fear)
KJV: be afraid, stand in awe, disquiet, fall out, fret, move, provoke, quake, rage, shake, tremble, trouble, be wroth.
vb — be agitated
רָגַז vb. be agitated, quiver, quake, be excited, perturbed
Qal quake
Hiph. cause to quake, disquiet, enrage
Hithp. excite oneself
H7832
v — laugh, play
Derivation: a primitive root;
to laugh (in pleasure or detraction); by implication, to play
KJV: deride, have in derision, laugh, make merry, mock(-er), play, rejoice, (laugh to) scorn, be in (make) sport.
vb — laugh
שָׂחַק vb. laugh
Qal
1.
a. laugh at
b. appar. of friendly laugh
2. sport, play
Pi.
1. make sport
2. jest
3. play
Hiph. (declar.) they uttered mockery
H369
np — nonentity
Derivation: as if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not exist;
a nonentity; generally used as a negative particle
KJV: else, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare 370.
subst — nothing
אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought
1. to nothing, as nothing
2. cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not
3. אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not
4. in circumst. clauses
5. with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …
6. with prefixes
H5183
n — descent, punishment, food, restfulness
Derivation: from 5182; also (intransitively; perhaps from 5117)
a descent, i.e. imposition, unfavorable (punishment) or favorable (food); restfulness
KJV: lighting down, quiet(-ness), to rest, be set on.
n.[f.] — quietness
נַ֫חַת n.[f.] quietness, rest
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Verse 9
Proverbs 29:9
A wise man is here advised not to set his wit to a fool's, not to dispute with him, or by contending with him to think either of fastening reason upon him or gaining right from him: If a wise man contend with a wise man, he may hope to be understood, and, as far as he has reason and equity on his side, to carry his point, at least to bring the controversy to a head and make it issue amicably; but, if he contend with a foolish man, there is no rest; he will see no end of it, nor will he have any satisfaction in it, but must expect to be always uneasy. 1. Whether the foolish man he contends with rage or laugh, whether he take angrily or scornfully what is said to him, whether he rail at it or mock at it, one of the two he will do, and so there will be no rest. However it is given, it will be ill-taken, and the wisest man must expect to be either scolded or ridiculed if he contend with a fool. He that fights with a dunghill, whether he be conqueror or conquered, is sure to be defiled. 2. Whether the wise man himself rage or laugh, whether he take the serious or the jocular way of dealing with the fool, whether he be severe or pleasant with him, whether he come with a rod or with the spirit of meekness (Co1 4:21), it is all alike, no good is done. We have piped unto you, and you have not danced, mourned unto you, and you have not lamented.
Cross-references: 1Cor 4:21