By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone.
Parallel translations
- WEB By patience a ruler is persuaded. A soft tongue breaks the bone.
- BSB Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.
- NKJV By long forbearance a ruler is persuaded, And a gentle tongue breaks a bone.
- NASB Through patience a ruler may be persuaded, And a gentle tongue breaks bone.
- NLT Patience can persuade a prince, and soft speech can break bones.
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
Patient persuasion and gentle speech can overcome even the strongest resistance. Soft words wield surprising power.
Overview
The proverb teaches that patience and a gentle tongue accomplish more than force, even moving a ruler. It commends self-controlled, gracious persuasion over harsh pressure (Prov 15:1). This reflects the gentle, persistent way of God's kindness that leads to repentance (Rom 2:4).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Prov 15:1A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
- Eccl 10:4If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.
- Prov 16:14The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it.
- 1 Sam 25:24–44And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.
- Gen 32:4–21And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:
- 1 Sam 25:14But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them.
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 25:15 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.