Proverbs 3:30
in Proverbs 3Do not accuse a man without cause, when he has done you no harm.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Strive not with a man without cause, If he have done thee no harm.
KJV
Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.
⋯
This verse in Proverbs 3
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Do not withhold good from the deserving
on Proverbs 3:27-30
“Do not withhold good from the deserving when it is within your power to act” turns from inward trust to a neighbor's claim. The excuse “Come back tomorrow and I will provide” is forbidden, delay posing as future kindness when the means are at hand.
This site's exposition
Do not accuse a man without cause
Verses 27 to 31 turn from long appeal to a run of short commands, each one opening on do not. Accuse translates riv, the word for a quarrel or a case brought before the elders at the gate. A charge without cause harms the innocent.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
"Do not contend with a person for no reason," etc. He does not forbid contending with the one who does wrong in order to correct him, because that is not done without purpose, but out of certain necessity which compels it to be done. Indeed, …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Never trouble thy neighbour with frivolous complaints and accusations, or vexatious law-suits, when either there is no harm done thee or none worth speaking of, or thou mightest right thyself in a friendly way." Law must be the last refuge; for it is not only our duty, but our interest, as much as in us lies, to live peaceably with all men.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
Strive not with a man without cause, Either by words, in a wrangling, quarrelsome, and contentious way, for mere trifles; when there is no foundation for it, no just reason given to form a complaint, or pick a quarrel upon; or by deeds, by lawsuits, when there is nothing to proceed upon; or it is so trifling, that it is not worth while to litigate it or contend about: such, who strive either way, are far from following the example of Wisdom or Christ, and from taking his advice, Mat 12:19; if he have done thee no harm; no real hurt to thy person, nor injury to thy substance; if he has not abused nor defrauded thee, nor taken any thing from thee by force or fraud, nor withheld from thee what is thy right and due.
5 Trust in the L ORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. We are here taught to live a life of communion with God; and without controversy great is this mystery of godliness, and of great consequence to us, and, as is here shown, will be of unspeakable advantage.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Strive not with a man - Do not be of a litigious, quarrelsome spirit. Be not under the influence of too nice a sense of honor. If thou must appeal to judicial authority to bring him that wrongs thee to reason, avoid all enmity, and do nothing in a spirit of revenge. But, if he have done thee no harm, why contend with him? May not others in the same way contend with and injure thee!
The words behind it
9 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תָּרִ֣יב | tariv | you contend | H7378 → | 67 times |
| עִם־ | ʾim- | with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| אָדָ֣ם | ʾadam | anyone | H120 → | 551 times |
| חִנָּ֑ם | chinam | without cause | H2600 → | 32 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| לֹ֖א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| גְמָלְךָ֣ | gemalekha | he has dealt out to you | H1580 → | 37 times |
| רָעָֽה׃ | raah | evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תָּרִ֣יבyou contend
tarivH7378 →67 times
עִם־with
ʾim-H5973 →1050 times
אָדָ֣םanyone
ʾadamH120 →551 times
חִנָּ֑םwithout cause
chinamH2600 →32 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
לֹ֖אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
גְמָלְךָ֣he has dealt out to you
gemalekhaH1580 →37 times
רָעָֽה׃evil
raahH7451 →662 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Timothy 2:24And a servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and forbearing.
it leads to
- Titus 3:2
to malign no one, and to be peaceable and gentle, showing full consideration to everyone.
- James 1:19–20
My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,
- Titus 1:7
As God’s steward, an overseer must be above reproach—not self-absorbed, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not greedy for money.
- 1 Timothy 3:2–3
An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
- 1 Thessalonians 2:7
On the contrary, we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother caring for her children.
- Titus 3:2
Through
Proverbs 29:22An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.
it leads to
- Proverbs 15:18
A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger calms dispute.
- Proverbs 17:19
He who loves transgression loves strife; he who builds his gate high invites destruction.
- Proverbs 26:21
Like charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
- Proverbs 15:18
Where this verse is studied
About Proverbs
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Proverbs; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.