What Does Proverbs 26:21 Mean in the King James?
As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The Hebrew uses the same word-family for the contentious person and the strife they kindle: the quarrel becomes its own fuel.
THE MEANING
The verse shows contention feeding strife, as wood feeds fire. When you are caught in a quarrel, each contentious exchange can add fuel that keeps the conflict burning.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that strife sustains itself: the image shows it being kept alive by what is added to it.
THE ROOT
מָדוֹן
mādôn
GROWS FROM
דין
d-y-n
To judge, contend, or plead a case.
The verse pairs מְדֹנִים (mədōnîm, “contentious”) with מָדוֹן (mādôn, “strife”), both from the דין (din, “judge or contend”) word-family. English gives them separate labels, but Hebrew repeats one family: contention enters with the person and emerges as the condition they kindle.
ALSO GROWS
mədōnîm: Characterized by quarrels or disputes.
מְדֹנִים
This describes the person in the verse; its shared root with מָדוֹן (mādôn, “strife”) links the person’s contentiousness to the conflict that follows.
dān: Dan’s name, linked in Genesis to the act of judging.
דָּן
Genesis 30:6 links Rachel’s naming of Dan with God judging her, making the same judgment-and-contention root audible in a name.
THE PATTERN
Strife is kindled when contention keeps supplying fresh fuel.
Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!THE THREAD
And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.The Hebrew word-family behind “strife” is linked to דין (din, “judge or contend”), the root echoed in Rachel’s words about God judging her and in Dan’s name. The connection reveals how contention can turn a relationship into a running case of judgment.
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