Proverbs 26:18 — Word Study
WLCכְּֽ֭מִתְלַהְלֵהַּ הַיֹּרֶ֥ה זִקִּ֗ים חִצִּ֥ים וָמָֽוֶת׃
BSALike a madmanlâhahh [crazy, insane, pretending to be feeble] shootingyârâh [casting, throwing] firebrandszîyqâh [flaming sticks, sparks] and deadlymâveth [mortal] arrowschêts [of death, to kill]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| כְּֽ֭מִתְלַהְלֵהַּ | like a madman | Preposition, verb hithpael participle (active) masculine singular |
| הַיֹּרֶ֥ה | who throws | Particle, verb qal participle (active) masculine singular |
| זִקִּ֗ים | burning arrows | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| חִצִּ֥ים | arrows | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| וָמָֽוֶת׃ | and death | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Like a madman shooting firebrands and deadly arrows, |
| KJV | As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death, |
| ASV | As a madman who casteth firebrands, Arrows, and death, |
| YLT | As [one] pretending to be feeble, Who is casting sparks, arrows, and death, |
| WEB | Like a madman who shoots torches, arrows, and death, |
| BBE | As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death, |
Translations agree on the imagery of a madman shooting firebrands and arrows.
The structure features a main clause followed by several noun phrases that detail the actions and consequences.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Ellicott & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Proverbs 26:18
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Proverbs on Foolishnessgenerated
Proverbs 26:18 illustrates the recklessness of a madman who indiscriminately shoots fire and arrows, likening this to the deceitful actions of a person who misleads their neighbor. This verse is part of a larger discourse on the folly of meddling in matters that do not concern one, as seen in the surrounding verses, particularly Proverbs 26:17 and Proverbs 26:19.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proverbs 7:23 | until an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare— not knowing it will cost him his life. |
| 2 | Proverbs 25:18 | Like a club or sword or sharp arrow is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor. |
| 3 | Genesis 49:23 | The archers attacked him with bitterness; they aimed at him in hostility. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — כְּֽ֭מִתְלַהְלֵהַּ, Ke.mit.lah.le.ahgenerated
The word כְּֽ֭מִתְלַהְלֵהַּ (*Ke.mit.lah.le.ah*) is a Hithpael participle meaning 'like a madman.' It conveys a sense of someone who is insane or frantically out of control, suggesting a state of being that is both alarming and irrational.
This term can also imply a person pretending to be feeble, which adds a layer of deception to the madman's actions. The emotional weight of this word emphasizes the recklessness and unpredictability of such behavior.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses madman for כְּֽ֭מִתְלַהְלֵהַּ, and this is consistent across the KJV and ASV.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause is governed by the verb הַיֹּרֶ֥ה, who throws, which is followed by three noun phrases: זִקִּ֗ים, burning arrows, חִצִּ֥ים, arrows, and וָמָֽוֶת׃, and death.
The structure highlights the chaotic action of a madman, with the verb leading into the imagery of destruction represented by the arrows and fire.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint uses the Greek word ἰώμενοι to translate כְּֽ֭מִתְלַהְלֵהַּ, which implies a state of being out of control. This choice reflects a similar understanding of madness and recklessness.
The choice of προβάλλουσιν for the action of throwing indicates a direct correlation to the Hebrew verb הַיֹּרֶ֥ה, maintaining the imagery of reckless action.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Proverbs 26:18 compares a madman shooting fire and arrows to someone who deceives their neighbor. This verse warns against the foolishness of meddling in others' disputes, showing how reckless actions can lead to harm.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It suggests acting recklessly and without regard for the consequences, similar to a madman who indiscriminately throws fire and arrows.
It emphasizes the foolishness of meddling in disputes that do not concern you, warning of the dangers of deception.
These images represent destruction and harm, illustrating the serious consequences of reckless behavior.
We can learn to avoid meddling in others' conflicts and to be mindful of our actions and their potential impact on others.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What are some examples of reckless behavior I have seen or experienced?
- How can I avoid meddling in conflicts that do not involve me?
- In what ways can I ensure that my actions do not harm others?
- How can I be more mindful of the consequences of my words and actions?
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Proverbs 26:18 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAs a mad [man], who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death. Or the instruments of death, as Aben Ezra; or the sharp arrows of death, as the Targum and Syriac version; who casts firebrands into the
Read John Gill on Proverbs 26 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAs a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death, As a mad (man), who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death, so (is) the man (that) deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?
Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 26 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleAs a madman, as one that feigneth himself mad, that under that pretence he may do mischief with impunity, who casteth fire-brands, to hurt his neighbour’ s person, or to consume his house or goods. Death; any instruments of death.
Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 26 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(18) Firebrands.—Arrows to which some blazing material was attached, in order that they might set on fire whatever they touched.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Proverbs 26 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThe teacher cuts off the plea which people make when they have hurt their neighbor by lies, that they “did not mean mischief,” that they were “only in fun.” Such jesting is like that of the madman flinging firebrands or arrows.
Read Albert Barnes on Proverbs 26 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible18, 19. As a mad man — According to some, one who feigns himself mad. The form of the word suggests this, but it is hardly sustained by the use. “Like a silly jester.” — Stuart and Bertheau.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Proverbs 26 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Like a madman shooting firebrands and deadly arrows,
Like a madman who shoots torches, arrows, and death,
Like a madman shooting firebrands and deadly arrows,
Like a madman who shoots firebrands and deadly arrows,
Tyndale line
As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,
As a madman who casteth firebrands, Arrows, and death,
As a madman who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death;
As a mad man who casteth fire-brands, arrows, and death,
As he that faineth himselfe mad, casteth fire brands, arrowes, and mortall things,
Strictly literal
As a madman who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,
As [one] pretending to be feeble, Who is casting sparks, arrows, and death,
As [one] pretending to be feeble, || Who is casting sparks, arrows, and death,
As one fatigueth himself shooting off firebrands, arrows, and death:
Like a madman who shoots burning arrows,
From the Latin
As he is guilty that shooteth arrows, and lances unto death:
Simplified
You're like a crazy person firing off blazing arrows and killing people
As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text of Proverbs 26:18 reads, "כְּֽ֭מִתְלַהְלֵהַּ הַיֹּרֶ֥ה זִקִּ֗ים חִצִּ֥ים וָמָֽוֶת׃" which translates to "Like a madman shooting firebrands and deadly arrows." The Septuagint does not provide a full equivalent for this verse, as it only matches 2 out of the 5 words in a different word order, indicating a significant difference in translation and structure. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the Dead Sea Scrolls do not have surviving texts for this specific verse, so no additional comparisons can be made from those sources. Thus, the Masoretic Text stands as the primary witness for this verse, with the Septuagint offering a partial and differing perspective.
כְּֽ֭מִתְלַהְלֵהַּ הַיֹּרֶ֥ה זִקִּ֗ים חִצִּ֥ים וָמָֽוֶת׃
2 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Proverbs 26:18
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word לָהַה (*lahah*) is built from a primitive root meaning to burn, implying a state of being rabid or insane, as well as to languish or faint. It covers the meanings of languishing (Qal) and amazing or startling (quadriliteral). The Old Testament references include Genesis 47:13, where it relates to famine, and Proverbs 26:18, where it refers to a madman.
H3856a לָהַה languish, faint H3856b לִהְלֵהַּ vb. quadril. amaze, startle
3856 lahahh law-hah'
a primitive root meaning properly, to burn, i.e. (by
implication) to be rabid (figuratively, insane); also (from
the exhaustion of frenzy) to languish:--faint, mad.
לָהַה (la.hah) — to languish.
(Qal) to languish, faint
לִהְלֵהַּ (lih.le.ah) — to amaze.
1) to amaze, startle
1a) (Hithpalpel) madman (subst)
Prep | V-f — Preposition · verb hithpael participle (active) masculine singularHR/Vtrmsa
The Hebrew word יָרָא (*yarah*) encompasses meanings related to shooting, pouring, and throwing. It can refer to actions like shooting arrows or casting water, as well as figurative uses such as teaching or directing. The entries indicate that it has both a literal and a figurative range, with roots in the idea of flowing or pointing out.
[יָרָא] vb. shoot, pour
Qal shoot with arrows
Hiph. and they shot at; Pt. pl. the shooters, archers
Hoph. he that watereth shall himself also be watered
base
יָרָה vb. throw, shoot
Qal
throw, cast
cast (= lay, set), corner-stone; pillar
shoot arrows
throw water, rain
Niph. shot through (with arrows)
Hiph.
throw, cast
shoot (arrows)
throw water, rain
point out, shew
direct, teach, instruct
base
H3384a יָרָא shoot, pour H3384b יָרָה throw, shoot .. throw, cast
. cast (= lay, set), corner-stone; pillar
. shoot arrows
. throw water, rain
. shot through (with arrows)
. . throw, cast
. shoot (arrows)
. throw water, rain
. point out, shew
. direct, teach, instruct
3384 yarah yaw-raw'
or (2 Chr. 26:15) yara; {yaw-raw'}; a primitive root;
properly, to flow as water (i.e. to rain); transitively, to
lay or throw (especially an arrow, i.e. to shoot);
figuratively, to point out (as if by aiming the finger), to
teach:--(+) archer, cast, direct, inform, instruct, lay, shew,
shoot, teach(-er,-ing), through.
יָרָא (ya.ra) — to shoot.
1) to shoot, pour
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to shoot arrows
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to shoot at
1b2) part. shooter, archer
1c) to throw water, rain
יָרָה (ya.rah) — to show.
1) to point out, show
1b) to direct, teach, instruct
Art | V-Qal — Particle · verb qal participle (active) masculine singularHTd/Vqrmsa
זֵק (ziqah) refers to both a 'missile' or 'spark' and a 'fetter' or 'chain' used for captives. The word is derived from a root meaning to leap forth, suggesting a connection to fire or binding. It appears in contexts related to both fiery objects and restraints.
[זֵק] n.[m.] missile, spark
base
[זֵק] n.[m.] fetter, only pl.:—fetters of captives
base
H2131a זֵק missile, spark H2131b זֵק fetter, only pl.:—fetters of captives
2131 ziyqah zee-kaw'
(Isa. 50: (feminine); and ziq {zeek}; or zeq {zake}; from
2187; properly, what leaps forth, i.e. flash of fire, or a
burning arrow; also (from the original sense of the root) a
bond:--chain, fetter, firebrand, spark.
see HEBREW for 050
see HEBREW for 02187
זֵק (zi.qah) — missile.
spark, missile, firebrand, flaming arrow
זֵק (zi.qah) — fetter.
fetters
N-cp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
Arrows
At first made of reeds, and then of wood tipped with iron. Arrows are sometimes figuratively put for lightning (Deut. 32:23, 42; Ps. 7:13; 18:14; 144:6; Zech. 9:14). They were used in war as well as in the chase (Gen. 27:3; 49:23). They were also used in divination (Ezek. 21:21).
The word is frequently employed as a symbol of calamity or disease inflicted by God (Job 6:4; 34:6; Ps. 38:2; Deut. 32:23. Comp.
[ARMS, ARMOR]
חֵץ (chets) means 'arrow,' primarily found in poetic and prophetic contexts. It is derived from a root meaning 'to pierce' and can imply a wound or refer to a thunderbolt in a figurative sense. The word also encompasses related terms like 'dart' and 'shaft,' indicating its use in various forms of weaponry.
חֵץ n.m. arrow, mostly poet. and proph.
base
H2671 חֵץ arrow, mostly poet. and proph.
2671 chets khayts
from 2686; properly, a piercer, i.e. an arrow; by
implication, a wound; figuratively, (of God) thunder-bolt; (by
interchange for 6086) the shaft of a spear:--+ archer, arrow,
dart, shaft, staff, wound.
see HEBREW for 02686
see HEBREW for 06086
חֵץ (chets) — arrow.
arrow
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
Arrows
At first made of reeds, and then of wood tipped with iron. Arrows are sometimes figuratively put for lightning (Deut. 32:23, 42; Ps. 7:13; 18:14; 144:6; Zech. 9:14). They were used in war as well as in the chase (Gen. 27:3; 49:23). They were also used in divination (Ezek. 21:21).
The word is frequently employed as a symbol of calamity or disease inflicted by God (Job 6:4; 34:6; Ps. 38:2; Deut. 32:23. Comp.
[ARMS, ARMOR]
מָ֫וֶת (maveth) means 'death' and encompasses various aspects such as natural or violent death, the state of being dead, and the realm of the dead (hades). It can also refer to pestilence or ruin. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to die' and has an Aramaic equivalent, מוֹת (mot).
מָ֫וֶת 161 n.m. death
death, opp. life
death by violence
state of death or place of death
base
H4194 מָ֫וֶת death
4194 maveth maw'-veth
from 4191; death (natural or violent); concretely, the dead,
their place or state (hades); figuratively, pestilence,
ruin:--(be) dead((-ly)), death, die(-d).
see HEBREW for 04191
מָ֫וֶת (ma.vet) — death.
1) death, dying, Death (personified), realm of the dead
1a) death
1b) death by violence (as a penalty)
1c) state of death, place of death
Aramaic equivalent: mot (מוֹת "death" H4193)
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Ncmsa
(maweth; thanatos):
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND FIGURATIVE VIEW
The word "Death" is used in the sense of
(1) the process of dying (Ge 21:16);
(2) the period of decease (Ge 27:7);
(3) as a possible synonym for poison (2Ki 4:40);
(4) as descriptive of person in danger of perishing (Jud 15:18; "in deaths oft" 2Co 11:23). In this sense the shadow of death is a familiar expression in Job, the Psalms and the Prophets;
Death
May be simply defined as the termination of life. It is represented under a variety of aspects in Scripture: (1.) “The dust shall return to the earth as it was” (Eccl. 12:7).
(2.) “Thou takest away their breath, they die” (Ps. 104:29).
(3.) It is the dissolution of “our earthly house of this tabernacle” (2 Cor. 5:1); the “putting off this tabernacle” (2 Pet. 1:13, 14).
(4.) Being “unclothed” (2 Cor. 5:3, 4).
(5.) “Falling on sleep” (Ps. 76:5; Jer. 51:39;
Is taken in Scripture, first, for the separation of body and soul, the first death, Ge 25:11; secondly, for alienation from God, and exposure to his wrath, 1Jo 3:14, etc.; thirdly, for the second death, that of eternal damnation. Death was the penalty affixed to Adam’s transgression, Ge 2:17 3:19; and all his posterity are transgressors, and share the curse inflicted upon him. CHRIST is "our life." All believers share his life, spiritually and eternally; and though sin and bodily is taken away, and in the resurrection the last enemy shall be trampled under foot, Ro 5:12-21 1Co 15:1-58.