Proverbs 18:19 (DRB)

Passage

A brother that is helped by his brother, is like a strong city: and judgments are like the bars of cities.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 18:17 The just is first accuser of himself: his friend cometh, and shall search him.

Proverbs 18:18 The lot suppresseth contentions, and determineth even between the mighty.

Proverbs 18:19 A brother that is helped by his brother, is like a strong city: and judgments are like the bars of cities.

Proverbs 18:20 Of the fruit of a man's mouth shall his belly be satisfied: and the offspring of his lips shall fill him.

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "brother", "helped", "like", "strong", "city", and "judgments". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "brother" and "helped", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "The lot suppresseth contentions and determineth even..." into verse 20's "Of the fruit of a man's mouth...", so "brother" and "helped" 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 "helped" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.