Proverbs 13:10 Commentary and Bible Study

This verse is rendered by many modern versions along the lines of, ‘By pride comes nothing but [only] strife’, applying ‘only’ not to ‘pride’ to which it is linked by maqqef, but to strife which is some distance away. They do this presumably because they wish to resist the idea that strife or contention only comes in one way as the KJV rendering suggests: through pride. But it is hard to deny that there is pride present in all who enter into strife, and anyway, the context is about one particular form of strife. The very interesting comparison which the proverb makes between strife and those who are willing to receive advice suggests that in this case strife arises from an inability to handle criticism or correction. The trigger is a suggestion that someone’s behaviour needs to change, or that they have gone about some task in the wrong way. Immediately there is a bad response. Instead of receiving this correction in a meek spirit, they flare up, and desire to hit back. The criticism has touched a sensitive spot, because the matter which has been addressed was one in which there was a secret self-satisfaction. What lies behind the resulting contention is, says Scripture, a pride that is not willing to yield. It is because pride works unseen and secretly attaches itself to all manner of things that we do, that we must be constantly putting it to death.