Proverbs 21:9
New International Version
Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

New Living Translation
It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home.

English Standard Version
It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.

Berean Standard Bible
Better to live on a corner of the roof than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

King James Bible
It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.

New King James Version
Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.

New American Standard Bible
It is better to live on a corner of a roof Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.

NASB 1995
It is better to live in a corner of a roof Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.

NASB 1977
It is better to live in a corner of a roof, Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.

Legacy Standard Bible
It is better to live in a corner of a roof Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.

Amplified Bible
It is better to live in a corner of the housetop [on the flat roof, exposed to the weather] Than in a house shared with a quarrelsome (contentious) woman.

Christian Standard Bible
Better to live on the corner of a roof than to share a house with a nagging wife.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Better to live on the corner of a roof than to share a house with a nagging wife.

American Standard Version
It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, Than with a contentious woman in a wide house.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
It is better to sit on the corner of the roof than to dwell with a contentious woman.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
It is better to dwell in a corner on the house-top, than in plastered rooms with unrighteousness, and in an open house.

Contemporary English Version
It's better to stay outside on the roof of your house than to live inside with a nagging wife.

Douay-Rheims Bible
It is better to sit in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling women, and in a common house.

English Revised Version
It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a contentious woman in a wide house.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Better to live on a corner of a roof than to share a home with a quarreling woman.

Good News Translation
Better to live on the roof than share the house with a nagging wife.

International Standard Version
It's better to live in a corner on the roof than to share a house with a contentious woman.

JPS Tanakh 1917
It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, Than in a house in common with a contentious woman.

Literal Standard Version
Better to sit on a corner of the roof, | Than [with] a woman of contentions and a house of company.

Majority Standard Bible
Better to live on a corner of the roof than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

New American Bible
It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop than in a mansion with a quarrelsome woman.

NET Bible
It is better to live on a corner of the housetop than in a house in company with a quarrelsome wife.

New Revised Standard Version
It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a contentious wife.

New Heart English Bible
It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than to share a house with a contentious woman.

Webster's Bible Translation
It is better to dwell in a corner of the house-top, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.

World English Bible
It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop than to share a house with a contentious woman.

Young's Literal Translation
Better to sit on a corner of the roof, Than with a woman of contentions and a house of company.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The King's Heart
8The way of a guilty man is crooked, but the conduct of the innocent is upright. 9Better to live on a corner of the roof than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife. 10The soul of the wicked man craves evil; his neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.…

Cross References
Proverbs 19:13
A foolish son is his father's ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.

Proverbs 21:8
The way of a guilty man is crooked, but the conduct of the innocent is upright.

Proverbs 21:10
The soul of the wicked man craves evil; his neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.

Proverbs 21:19
Better to live in the desert than with a contentious and ill-tempered wife.

Proverbs 25:24
Better to live on a corner of the roof than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife.


Treasury of Scripture

It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.

better

Proverbs 21:19
It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.

Proverbs 12:4
A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.

Proverbs 19:13
A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.

Proverbs 15:17
Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.

Proverbs 17:1
Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife.

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Proverbs 21
1. The king's heart in the hand of the Lord














(9) It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop.--Though there exposed to all the storms of heaven. The flat tops of houses were, in the East, used for exercise (2Samuel 11:2), sleeping, (1Samuel 9:26), devotion (Acts 10:9), and various domestic purposes (Joshua 2:6).

Verse 9. - It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop. One is to think of the flat roof of an Eastern house, which was used as an apartment for many purposes: e,g. for sleeping and conference (1 Samuel 9:25, 26), for exercise (2 Samuel 11:2), for domestic matters (Joshua 2:6), for retirement and prayer (Psalm 102:7; Acts 10:9). This, though exposed to the inclemency of the weather, would be not an uncomfortable situation during a great part of the year. But the proverb implies a position abnormally inconvenient as an alternative preferable to a residence inside. Hence, perhaps, it is advisable to render, with Delitzsch, "Better to sit on the pinhole of a house roof." Septuagint, "It is better to dwell in a corner of a place open to the sky (ὑπαίθρου)." Than with a brawling (contentious) woman in a wide house; literally, a house of society; i.e. a house in common (comp. ver. 19 and Proverbs 25:24). A solitary corner, replete with inconveniences, is to be preferred to house shared with woman, wife or other female relation, of a quarrelsome and vexatious temper. The LXX. puts the matter forcibly, "than in cieled rooms with unrighteousness and in a common house." So the Latin proverb, "Non quam late, sed quam laete habites, refert." The Scotch have a proverb to the same effect: "A house wi' a reek and a wife wi' a reerd (scold) will sune mak' a man run to the door." "I had rather dwell," says the Son of Sirach (Ecclus. 25:16), "with a lion and a dragon, than to keep house with a wicked woman."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Better
ט֗וֹב (ṭō·wḇ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

to live
לָשֶׁ֥בֶת (lā·še·ḇeṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

a corner
פִּנַּת־ (pin·naṯ-)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 6438: An angle, a pinnacle, a chieftain

of the roof
גָּ֑ג (gāḡ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1406: A roof, the top of an altar

than to share
חָֽבֶר׃ (ḥā·ḇer)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2267: Company, association, spell

a house
וּבֵ֥ית (ū·ḇêṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

with a quarrelsome
מִ֝דְיָנִ֗ים (miḏ·yā·nîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4079: Brawling, contention

wife.
מֵאֵ֥שֶׁת (mê·’ê·šeṯ)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 21:9 It is better to dwell (Prov. Pro Pr)
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