Proverbs 18:19 (ASV)

Passage

A brother offended [is harder to be won] than a strong city; And [such] contentions are like the bars of a castle.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 18:17 He that pleadeth his cause first [seemeth] just; But his neighbor cometh and searcheth him out.

Proverbs 18:18 The lot causeth contentions to cease, And parteth between the mighty.

Proverbs 18:19 A brother offended [is harder to be won] than a strong city; And [such] contentions are like the bars of a castle.

Proverbs 18:20 A man`s belly shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth; With the increase of his lips shall he be satisfied.

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue; And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "brother", "offended", "harder", "than", "strong", "city", "such", and "contentions". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "brother" and "offended", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "The lot causeth contentions to cease And..." into verse 20's "A man s belly shall be filled...", so "brother" and "offended" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "brother" and "offended" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.