Proverbs 27:3
New International Version
Stone is heavy and sand a burden, but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

New Living Translation
A stone is heavy and sand is weighty, but the resentment caused by a fool is even heavier.

English Standard Version
A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty, but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

Berean Standard Bible
A stone is heavy and sand is a burden, but aggravation from a fool outweighs them both.

King James Bible
A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both.

New King James Version
A stone is heavy and sand is weighty, But a fool’s wrath is heavier than both of them.

New American Standard Bible
A stone is heavy and the sand weighty, But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.

NASB 1995
A stone is heavy and the sand weighty, But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.

NASB 1977
A stone is heavy and the sand weighty, But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.

Legacy Standard Bible
A stone is heavy and the sand weighty, But the provocation of an ignorant fool is heavier than both of them.

Amplified Bible
Stone is heavy and the sand weighty, But a fool’s [unreasonable] wrath is heavier and more burdensome than both of them.

Christian Standard Bible
A stone is heavy, and sand a burden, but aggravation from a fool outweighs them both.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
A stone is heavy and sand, a burden, but aggravation from a fool outweighs them both.

American Standard Version
A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; But a fool's vexation is heavier than they both.

Contemporary English Version
Stones and sand are heavy, but trouble caused by a fool is a much heavier load.

English Revised Version
A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's vexation is heavier than them both.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
A stone is heavy, and sand weighs a lot, but annoyance caused by a stubborn fool is heavier than both.

Good News Translation
The weight of stone and sand is nothing compared to the trouble that stupidity can cause.

International Standard Version
Rocks are heavy, and sand is weighty, but a fool's provocation outweighs them both.

Majority Standard Bible
A stone is heavy and sand is a burden, but aggravation from a fool outweighs them both.

NET Bible
A stone is heavy and sand is weighty, but vexation by a fool is more burdensome than the two of them.

New Heart English Bible
A stone is heavy, and sand is a burden; but a fool's provocation is heavier than both.

Webster's Bible Translation
A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than both.

World English Bible
A stone is heavy, and sand is a burden; but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
A stone [is] heavy, and the sand [is] heavy, "" And the anger of a fool "" Is heavier than them both.

Young's Literal Translation
A stone is heavy, and the sand is heavy, And the anger of a fool Is heavier than they both.

Smith's Literal Translation
A stone is heavy and sand a burden, and the wrath of the foolish one heavy more than they two.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
A stone is heavy, and sand weighty: but the anger of a fool is heavier than them both.

Catholic Public Domain Version
A stone is weighty, and sand is burdensome; but the wrath of the foolish is heavier than both.

New American Bible
Stone is heavy, and sand a burden, but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

New Revised Standard Version
A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty, but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
A stone is heavy and sand is weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than both.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Stone is heavy and sand is weighty, and the wrath of the fool is heavier than both.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; But a fool's vexation is heavier than they both.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
A stone is heavy, and sand cumbersome; but a fool's wrath is heavier than both.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Do not Boast about Tomorrow
2Let another praise you, and not your own mouth—a stranger, and not your own lips. 3A stone is heavy and sand is a burden, but aggravation from a fool outweighs them both. 4Wrath is cruel and anger is like a flood, but who can withstand jealousy?…

Cross References
Matthew 11:28-30
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. / Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. / For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

James 3:6-8
The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. / All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, / but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

Ecclesiastes 7:9
Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.

Ephesians 4:31-32
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice. / Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.

Colossians 3:8
But now you must put aside all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

Psalm 37:8
Refrain from anger and abandon wrath; do not fret—it can only bring harm.

Romans 12:19-21
Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” / On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.” / Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Galatians 5:19-21
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; / idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, / and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Peter 2:1
Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.

Proverbs 15:1
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 19:11
A man’s insight gives him patience, and his virtue is to overlook an offense.

Proverbs 16:32
He who is slow to anger is better than a warrior, and he who controls his temper is greater than one who captures a city.

Proverbs 25:28
Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who does not control his temper.

1 Corinthians 13:4-5
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. / It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs.

2 Timothy 2:24
And a servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and forbearing.


Treasury of Scripture

A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both.

heavy

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

Genesis 34:25,26
And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males…

Genesis 49:7
Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

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Anger Burden Crushing Fool Foolish Fool's Great Greater Heavier Heavy Provocation Sand Stone Vexation Weight Weighty Wrath
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Anger Burden Crushing Fool Foolish Fool's Great Greater Heavier Heavy Provocation Sand Stone Vexation Weight Weighty Wrath
Proverbs 27
1. observations of self love
5. of true love
11. of care to avoid offenses
23. and of the household care














A stone is heavy
The Hebrew word for "stone" is "אֶבֶן" (even), which often symbolizes strength and permanence in the biblical context. Stones were used in construction, altars, and as memorials, signifying their weightiness both physically and metaphorically. The heaviness of a stone is a tangible burden, representing challenges or responsibilities that are substantial yet manageable with effort and determination. In life, we encounter burdens that, while heavy, can be borne with the right support and tools.

and sand a burden
The Hebrew word for "sand" is "חוֹל" (chol), which conveys the idea of countless grains, symbolizing innumerable, small, and persistent challenges. Sand, though individually light, becomes a significant burden when accumulated. This imagery suggests that life's minor irritations and persistent issues can collectively weigh us down, much like the cumulative effect of grains of sand. Historically, sand was used in construction and agriculture, emphasizing its dual nature as both a resource and a burden.

but aggravation from a fool
The term "fool" in Hebrew is "כְּסִיל" (kesil), often referring to someone who is morally deficient or lacking in wisdom. In the biblical context, a fool is not merely someone who lacks intelligence but one who rejects wisdom and discipline. Aggravation from such a person is not just an emotional response but a spiritual and moral challenge. The fool's actions and words can disrupt peace, create discord, and lead others astray, making their impact more burdensome than physical weights.

outweighs them both
The Hebrew root for "outweighs" is "כָּבֵד" (kaved), meaning to be heavy or burdensome. This phrase emphasizes the profound impact of dealing with a fool's aggravation, which surpasses even the tangible burdens of stone and sand. In a conservative Christian perspective, this highlights the importance of seeking wisdom and surrounding oneself with those who are wise and discerning. The spiritual and emotional toll of engaging with foolishness is a reminder to guard one's heart and mind, seeking God's guidance to navigate such challenges.

(3) But a fool's wrath is heavier than them both--i.e., harder to bear. (Comp. Ecclesiasticus 12:15.) The "fool" here (evil) is the headstrong, self-willed person. who has never learned to control himself, but bursts out into the maddest rage when crossed.

Verse 3. - A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; literally, heaviness of a stone, weight of the sand. The substantives are more forcible than the corresponding adjectives would be: the versions rather weaken the form of the expression by rendering, Grave est saxum, etc. The quality in the things mentioned is weight, heaviness, ponderosity; that is what we are bidden regard. A fool's wrath is heavier than them both. The ill temper and anger of a headstrong fool, which he vents on those about him, are harder to endure than any material weight is to carry. Ecclus. 22:15, "Sand and salt and a mass of iron are easier to bear than a man without understanding." The previous verse asks, "What is heavier than lead? and what is the name thereof [i.e. of the heavier thing], but a fool?" Job speaks of his grief being heavier than the sand of the sea (Job 6:3).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
A stone
אֶ֭בֶן (’e·ḇen)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 68: A stone

is heavy
כֹּֽבֶד־ (kō·ḇeḏ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3514: Weight, multitude, vehemence

and sand
הַח֑וֹל (ha·ḥō·wl)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2344: Sand

[is] a burden,
וְנֵ֣טֶל (wə·nê·ṭel)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5192: Burden, weight

but aggravation
וְכַ֥עַס (wə·ḵa·‘as)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3708: Vexation, anger

from a fool
אֱ֝וִ֗יל (’ĕ·wîl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 191: Foolish

outweighs
כָּבֵ֥ד (kā·ḇêḏ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 3515: Heavy

them both.
מִשְּׁנֵיהֶֽם׃ (miš·šə·nê·hem)
Preposition-m | Number - mdc | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8147: Two (a cardinal number)


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 27:3 A stone is heavy and sand (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 27:2
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