Proverbs 17:19 (DBY)

Passage

He loveth transgression that loveth a quarrel; he that maketh high his gate seeketh destruction.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 17:17 The friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Proverbs 17:18 A senseless man striketh hands, becoming surety for his neighbour.

Proverbs 17:19 He loveth transgression that loveth a quarrel; he that maketh high his gate seeketh destruction.

Proverbs 17:20 He that hath a perverse heart findeth no good; and he that shifteth about with his tongue falleth into evil.

Proverbs 17:21 He that begetteth a fool [doeth it] to his sorrow, and the father of a vile [man] hath no joy.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "loveth", "transgression", "quarrel", "maketh", "high", "gate", and "seeketh". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "loveth" and "transgression", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "A senseless man striketh hands becoming surety..." into verse 20's "He that hath a perverse heart findeth...", so "loveth" and "transgression" 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 "loveth" and "transgression" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.