Proverbs 17:14 (KJV)

Passage

The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 17:12 Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.

Proverbs 17:13 Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.

Proverbs 17:14 The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.

Proverbs 17:15 He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.

Proverbs 17:16 Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "beginning", "strife", "letteth", "water", "therefore", "leave", "contention", and "before". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "beginning" and "strife", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "Whoso rewardeth evil for good evil shall..." into verse 15's "He that justifieth the wicked and he...", so "beginning" and "strife" 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 "beginning" and "strife" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.