Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest. New Living Translation Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse will not land on its intended victim. English Standard Version Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight. Berean Study Bible Like a fluttering sparrow or darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest. New American Standard Bible Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, So a curse without cause does not alight. King James Bible As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come. Christian Standard Bible Like a flitting sparrow or a fluttering swallow, an undeserved curse goes nowhere. Contemporary English Version A curse you don't deserve will take wings and fly away like a sparrow or a swallow. Good News Translation Curses cannot hurt you unless you deserve them. They are like birds that fly by and never light. Holman Christian Standard Bible Like a flitting sparrow or a fluttering swallow, an undeserved curse goes nowhere. International Standard Version Like a fluttering sparrow or a swallow in flight, a curse without cause will not alight. NET Bible Like a fluttering bird or like a flying swallow, so a curse without cause does not come to rest. New Heart English Bible Like a fluttering sparrow, like a darting swallow, so the undeserved curse doesn't come to rest. Aramaic Bible in Plain English Like a bird and a flying creature in the air, so an empty curse wanders. GOD'S WORD® Translation Like a fluttering sparrow, like a darting swallow, so a hastily spoken curse does not come to rest. JPS Tanakh 1917 As the wandering sparrow, as the flying swallow, So the curse that is causeless shall come home. New American Standard 1977 Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, So a curse without cause does not alight. Jubilee Bible 2000 As the sparrow in its wandering, as the swallow in its flight, so the curse causeless shall never come. King James 2000 Bible As the bird by flitting, as the swallow by flying, so the curse without cause shall not alight. American King James Version As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come. American Standard Version As the sparrow in her wandering, as the swallow in her flying, So the curse that is causeless alighteth not. Brenton Septuagint Translation As birds and sparrows fly, so a curse shall not come upon any one without a cause. Douay-Rheims Bible As a bird flying to other places, and a sparrow going here or there: so a curse uttered without cause shall come upon a man. Darby Bible Translation As the sparrow for flitting about, as the swallow for flying, so a curse undeserved shall not come. English Revised Version As the sparrow in her wandering, as the swallow in her flying, so the curse that is causeless lighteth not. Webster's Bible Translation As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come. World English Bible Like a fluttering sparrow, like a darting swallow, so the undeserved curse doesn't come to rest. Young's Literal Translation As a bird by wandering, as a swallow by flying, So reviling without cause doth not come. Study Bible Similitudes and Instructions1Like snow in summer and rain at harvest, honor does not befit a fool. 2Like a fluttering sparrow or darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest. 3A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools!… Cross References Numbers 23:8 How can I curse what God has not cursed? How can I denounce what the LORD has not denounced? Deuteronomy 23:5 Yet the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, and the LORD turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you. 2 Samuel 16:12 Perhaps the LORD will see my affliction and repay me with good for the cursing I receive today." Proverbs 27:8 Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who wanders from his home. Isaiah 16:2 Like fluttering birds pushed out of the nest, so are the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon: Treasury of Scripture As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come. so Numbers 23:8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied? Deuteronomy 23:4,5 Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee… 1 Samuel 14:28,29 Then answered one of the people, and said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food this day. And the people were faint… Lexicon Like a flutteringלָ֭נוּד (lā·nūḏ) Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Strong's Hebrew 5110: To nod, waver, to wander, flee, disappear, to console, deplore, taunt sparrow כַּצִּפּ֣וֹר (kaṣ·ṣip·pō·wr) Preposition-k, Article | Noun - common singular Strong's Hebrew 6833: A little bird or darting לָע֑וּף (lā·‘ūp̄) Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Strong's Hebrew 5774: To fly, to faint swallow, כַּדְּר֣וֹר (kad·də·rō·wr) Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's Hebrew 1866: The swift, a kind of swallow an undeserved חִ֝נָּ֗ם (ḥin·nām) Adverb Strong's Hebrew 2600: Gratis, devoid of cost, reason, advantage curse קִֽלְלַ֥ת (qil·laṯ) Noun - feminine singular construct Strong's Hebrew 7045: Vilification does not ל֣וֹ (lōw) Preposition | third person masculine singular Strong's Hebrew 3808: Not, no come to rest. תָבֹֽא׃ (ṯā·ḇō) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular Strong's Hebrew 935: To come in, come, go in, go (2) As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying.--Rather, As the bird (any small one, especially the sparrow) is made for wandering, and the swallow for flying (where it pleases), so the curse causeless (i.e., spoken without reason) shall not come (reach its destination). The Hebrew reads in the margin "to him," instead of "not," in the sense that a causeless curse, though it passes out of sight like a bird in its flight, yet returns "to him" who uttered it--an idea expressed in more than one English proverb. (Comp. Psalm 109:17-18; Isaiah 55:11.)Verse 2. - As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying. "Bird" (tsippor) is the sparrow, which is found throughout Palestine; "swallow" (deror), the free flier. The Authorized Version hardly gives the sense. The line should be rendered, as the sparrow in (in respect of) its wandering, as the swallow in its flying. The point of comparison is the vagueness and aimlessness of the birds' flight, or the uselessness of trying to catch them in their course. So the curse causeless shall not come. It shall, as it were, spend its force in the air, and fall not on the head on which it was invoked. A causeless curse is that which is uttered against one who has done nothing to deserve such denunciation. Septuagint, "As birds and sparrows fly, so a causeless (ματαία) curse shall come upon no one" (comp. 1 Samuel 17:43; Nehemiah 13:2.) Bailey, 'Festus' - "Blessings star forth forever; but a curse Is like a cloud - it passes." Closely connected with the superstition that dreads a curse is that which is alarmed by omens. Against this irrational fear we find some Eastern proverbs directed; e.g., "The jackal howls: will my old buffalo die?" "The dog barks - still the caravan passes: will the barking of the dog reach the skies?" (Lane). Instead of ללֺא, "not," the Keri reads לו, "to him." This makes the proverb say that the unprovoked curse shall return upon him who uttered it. But this reading is not to be accepted, as it does not suit the terms of comparison, though it seems to have been used by St. Jerome, who translates, Sic maledictum frustra prolatum in quempiam superveniet. This retributive justice is often alluded to elsewhere; e.g., ver. 27 (where see note). So we find in various languages proverbs to the same effect. Thus in English, "Harm watch, harm catch;" Spanish, "Who sows thorns, let him not walk barefoot;" Turkish, "Curses, like chickens, always come home to roost;" Yoruba, "Ashes always fly back in the face of him that throws them" (Trench). 26:2. He that is cursed without cause, the curse shall do him no more harm than the bird that flies over his head. 3. Every creature must be dealt with according to its nature, but careless and profligate sinners never will be ruled by reason and persuasion. Man indeed is born like the wild ass's colt; but some, by the grace of God, are changed. 4,5. We are to fit our remarks to the man, and address them to his conscience, so as may best end the debate. 6-9. Fools are not fit to be trusted, nor to have any honour. Wise sayings, as a foolish man delivers and applies them, lose their usefulness. 10. This verse may either declare how the Lord, the Creator of all men, will deal with sinners according to their guilt, or, how the powerful among men should disgrace and punish the wicked. 11. The dog is a loathsome emblem of those sinners who return to their vices, 2Pe 2:22. 12. We see many a one who has some little sense, but is proud of it. This describes those who think their spiritual state to be good, when really it is very bad. 13. The slothful man hates every thing that requires care and labour. But it is foolish to frighten ourselves from real duties by fancied difficulties. This may be applied to a man slothful in the duties of religion. 14. Having seen the slothful man in fear of his work, here we find him in love with his ease. Bodily ease is the sad occasion of many spiritual diseases. He does not care to get forward with his business. Slothful professors turn thus. The world and the flesh are hinges on which they are hung; and though they move in a course of outward services, yet they are not the nearer to heaven. 15. The sluggard is now out of his bed, but he might have lain there, for any thing he is likely to bring to pass in his work. It is common for men who will not do their duty, to pretend they cannot. Those that are slothful in religion, will not be at the pains to feed their souls with the bread of life, nor to fetch in promised blessings by prayer. 16. He that takes pains in religion, knows he is working for a good Master, and that his labour shall not be in vain. 17. To make ourselves busy in other men's matters, is to thrust ourselves into temptation. 18,19. He that sins in jest, must repent in earnest, or his sin will be his ruin. 20-22. Contention heats the spirit, and puts families and societies into a flame. And that fire is commonly kindled and kept burning by whisperers and backbiters. 23. A wicked heart disguising itself, is like a potsherd covered with the dross of silver. Jump to Previous Alight Alighteth Bird Cause Causeless Curse Darting Flight Fluttering Flying Home Rest Reviling Sparrow Swallow WanderingJump to Next Alight Alighteth Bird Cause Causeless Curse Darting Flight Fluttering Flying Home Rest Reviling Sparrow Swallow WanderingLinks Proverbs 26:2 NIVProverbs 26:2 NLT Proverbs 26:2 ESV Proverbs 26:2 NASB Proverbs 26:2 KJV Proverbs 26:2 Bible Apps Proverbs 26:2 Biblia Paralela Proverbs 26:2 Chinese Bible Proverbs 26:2 French Bible Proverbs 26:2 German Bible Alphabetical: a alight an cause come curse darting does flitting fluttering flying in its Like not or rest So sparrow swallow to undeserved without OT Poetry: Proverbs 26:2 Like a fluttering sparrow like a darting (Prov. Pro Pr) Christian Bible Study Resources, Dictionary, Concordance and Search Tools |
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