Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.
Parallel translations
- WEB Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all wrongs.
- KJV Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
- BSB Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all transgressions.
- NKJV Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.
- NASB Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all offenses.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all wrongs. Hatred breeds conflict; love forgives and heals.
Overview
This well-known proverb contrasts the divisiveness of hatred with the reconciling power of love that covers offenses rather than exposing them. To 'cover' wrongs is not to ignore sin but to forgive and refrain from spreading it. The New Testament cites this truth directly, affirming that love covers a multitude of sins, supremely shown in Christ's atoning love (1 Peter 4:8).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- 1 Pet 4:8And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins.
- 1 Cor 13:4–7Love is patient and is kind; love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,
- Prov 17:9He who covers an offense promotes love; but he who repeats a matter separates best friends.
- Prov 15:18A wrathful man stirs up contention, but one who is slow to anger appeases strife.
- Jas 5:20let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
- Jas 4:1Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don’t they come from your pleasures that war in your members?
- Prov 28:25One who is greedy stirs up strife; but one who trusts in Yahweh will prosper.
- Prov 16:27A worthless man devises mischief. His speech is like a scorching fire.
- Prov 29:22An angry man stirs up strife, and a wrathful man abounds in sin.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 10:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.