The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression.
Parallel translations
- WEB The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger. It is his glory to overlook an offense.
- KJV The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.
- BSB A man’s insight gives him patience, and his virtue is to overlook an offense.
- NASB A person’s discretion makes him slow to anger, And it is his glory to overlook an offense.
- NLT Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.
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
Wise discretion makes a person slow to anger, and overlooking an offense is to one's glory. Patient forbearance is a mark of honor.
Overview
This proverb commends the prudence that restrains anger and the magnanimity that passes over an offense, calling such forbearance one's 'glory.' It elevates patient, forgiving love above retaliation. The verse anticipates the gospel ethic of forgiveness and points to God Himself, who is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love (Ps. 103:8), and to Christ, who overlooked our offenses to redeem us.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Prov 16:32One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; one who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city.
- Prov 14:29He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a quick temper displays folly.
- Jas 1:19So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger;
- Col 3:12–13Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance;
- Prov 15:18A wrathful man stirs up contention, but one who is slow to anger appeases strife.
- Prov 20:3It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife; but every fool will be quarreling.
- Prov 12:16A fool shows his annoyance the same day, but one who overlooks an insult is prudent.
- Eph 4:32And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.
- Rom 12:18–21If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men.
- Matt 18:21–22Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?”
- Prov 17:14The beginning of strife is like breaching a dam, therefore stop contention before quarreling breaks out.
- Matt 5:44–45But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,
- Prov 25:21If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink:
- Gen 50:15–21When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us, and will fully pay us back for all the evil which we did to him.”
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 19:11 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.