Proverbs 18:19 (DBY)

Passage

A brother offended is [harder to be won] than a strong city; and contentions are as the bars of a palace.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 18:17 He that is first in his own cause [seemeth] just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.

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 contentions are as the bars of a palace.

Proverbs 18:20 A man's belly is satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; with the increase of his lips is he 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", "contentions", and "bars". 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 is satisfied with the...", 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.