Proverbs 18:19 (LSB)

Passage

A brother offended is harder to win over than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a citadel.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 18:17 The first to plead his case seems right, Until another comes and examines him.

Proverbs 18:18 The cast lot puts an end to contentions And decides between the mighty ones.

Proverbs 18:19 A brother offended is harder to win over than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a citadel.

Proverbs 18:20 From the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied; With the produce of his lips he will be satisfied.

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "brother", "offended", "harder", "over", "than", "strong", "city", 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 cast lot puts an end to..." into verse 20's "From the fruit of a man s...", 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.