Proverbs 15:17

Verse

Berean Standard Bible

Better a dish of vegetables where there is love than a fattened ox with hatred.

American Standard Version (1901)

Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is, Than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.

Bible in Basic English

Better is a simple meal where love is, than a fat ox and hate with it.

Douay-Rheims 1899

It is better to be invited to herbs with love, than to a fatted calf with hatred.

Free Bible Version

Better a dinner of vegetables where there's love than eating meat with hatred.

Geneva Bible 1599

Better is a dinner of greene herbes where loue is, then a stalled oxe and hatred therewith.

King James (Authorized) Version

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.

One Unity Resource Bible

Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is, than a fattened calf with hatred.

Translation for Translators

Eating meals with people whom you love and having only vegetables to eat is better than eating with people who hate each other and having lots of good meat to eat.

Unlocked Literal Bible

Better is a meal with vegetables where there is love than a fatted calf served with hatred.

Noah Webster Bible

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred with it.

World English Bible

Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is, than a fattened calf with hatred.

Young's Literal Translation

Better [is] an allowance of green herbs and love there, Than a fatted ox, and hatred with it.

Context

A Gentle Answer Turns Away Wrath

¹⁶Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with turmoil. ¹⁷Better a dish of vegetables where there is love than a fattened ox with hatred.

Sermons

Taranaki Bible Conference January 19-2012 - 3 of 5 Sermons

Keith Daniel

1.0K

Summary

This verse highlights the importance of contentment and peace over material wealth and feasting. It emphasizes that having a simple meal with love and harmony is better than having a lavish feast with conflict and strife. The verse encourages valuing relationships and emotional well-being above material possessions, recognizing that true happiness comes from a heart filled with love and unity rather than abundance and discord.

Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill
Tyndale

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

dinner--or, "allowance" (Kg2 25:30) -- of herbs--and that the plainest. and hatred--(compare Pro 10:12, Pro 10:18).

John Gill Bible Commentary

Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is,.... What Plautus (i) calls "asperam et terrestrem caenam", "a harsh and earthly supper", made of what grows out of the earth; which is got without much cost or care, and dressed with little trouble; a traveller's dinner, as the word (k) signifies, and a poor one too to travel upon, such as is easily obtained, and presently cooked, and comes cheap. Now, where there are love and good nature in the host that prepares this dinner; or in a family that partakes of such an one, having no better; or among guests invited, who eat friendly together; or in the person that invites them, who receives them cheerfully, and heartily bids them welcome: such a dinner, with such circumstances, is better than a stalled ox, and hatred therewith; than an ox kept up in the stall for fattening; or than a fatted one, which with the ancients was the principal in a grand entertainment; hence the allusion in Mat 22:4. In the times of Homer, an ox was in high esteem at their festivals; at the feasts made by his heroes, Agamemnon, Menelaus, and Ajax, an ox was a principal part of them, if not the whole; the back of a fat ox, or a sirloin of beef, was a favourite dish (l). Indeed in some ages, both among Greeks and Romans, an ox was abstained from, through a superstitious regard to it, because so useful a creature in ploughing of the land; and it was carried so far as to suppose it to be as sinful to slay an ox as to kill a man (m): and Aratus (n) represents it as not done, neither in the golden nor silver age, but that in the brasen age men first began to kill and eat oxen; but this is to be confuted by the laws of God, Gen 9:3; and by the examples of Abraham and others. Now if there is hatred, either in the host, or in the guests among themselves, or in a family, it must stir up strifes and contentions, and render all enjoyments unpleasant and uncomfortable; see Pro 17:1; but where the love of God is, which is better than life, and the richest enjoyments of it; which sweetens every mercy, and cannot be purchased with money; and secures the best of blessings, the riches of grace and glory, and itself can never be lost; where this is, the meanest diet is preferable to the richest and most costly banquets of wicked men; who are hated and abhorred by the Lord, for their oppression and injustice, their luxury, or their covetousness; for poor men may be loved of God, and the rich be abhorred by him, Psa 10:4. (i) Capteivei, Act. 1. Sc. 2. v. 80. &. 3. Sc. 1. v. 37. (k) "viaticum", Montanus, Amama; "commeatus", Cocceius. (l) Iliad. 7. v. 320, 321. Odyss. 4. v. 65. & 8. v. 60. Vid. Suidam in voce Virgil. Aeneid. 8. v. 182. (m) Aelian. l. 5. c. 14. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 45. (n) Phoenomena, v. 132.

Proverbs 15:17

A Gentle Answer Turns Away Wrath

¹⁶Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with turmoil. ¹⁷Better a dish of vegetables where there is love than a fattened ox with hatred.

Scripture
Sermons
Commentary

Berean Standard Bible

Better a dish of vegetables where there is love than a fattened ox with hatred.

American Standard Version (1901)

Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is, Than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.

Bible in Basic English

Better is a simple meal where love is, than a fat ox and hate with it.

Douay-Rheims 1899

It is better to be invited to herbs with love, than to a fatted calf with hatred.

Free Bible Version

Better a dinner of vegetables where there's love than eating meat with hatred.

Geneva Bible 1599

Better is a dinner of greene herbes where loue is, then a stalled oxe and hatred therewith.

King James (Authorized) Version

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.

One Unity Resource Bible

Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is, than a fattened calf with hatred.

Translation for Translators

Eating meals with people whom you love and having only vegetables to eat is better than eating with people who hate each other and having lots of good meat to eat.

Unlocked Literal Bible

Better is a meal with vegetables where there is love than a fatted calf served with hatred.

Noah Webster Bible

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred with it.

World English Bible

Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is, than a fattened calf with hatred.

Young's Literal Translation

Better [is] an allowance of green herbs and love there, Than a fatted ox, and hatred with it.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill
Tyndale

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

dinner--or, "allowance" (Kg2 25:30) -- of herbs--and that the plainest. and hatred--(compare Pro 10:12, Pro 10:18).

John Gill Bible Commentary

Proverbs 15:17

Verse

Context

A Gentle Answer Turns Away Wrath

Sermons

Summary

Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes

Proverbs 15:17

A Gentle Answer Turns Away Wrath

Taranaki Bible Conference January 19-2012 - 3 of 5 Sermons

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes