A Constant Dripping
The word “quarrelsome” is almost exclusive to the book of Proverbs, occurring six times there and only two other times in the rest of the Bible, most to a quarrelsome wife.
Quarrelsome means “given to quarreling, contentious, belligerent”; some of its synonyms are argumentative, fractious, and petulant.
Five of the six occurrences relate to a quarrelsome wife. She is undesirable and to be avoided. Twice she is compared to a constant dripping, which could be a suitable euphemism for nagging.
The sixth reference is to a quarrelsome man—he is one who kindles strife.
The Bible’s seventh and eighth occurrences of quarrelsome occurs in 1 and 2 Timothy where it is listed as an unacceptable characteristic of a church leader.
Lest the ladies are feeling unfairly chastised, recall that Solomon—who wrote much of Proverbs—had 700 wives and 300 concubines.
Surely there were a few quarrelsome wives among the group, giving him ample reason to be so sensitive about this topic.
Regardless, quarrelsome is most certainly a characteristic to be avoided, both as a personal trait and among those you associate with.
[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Proverbs 18-21 and today’s post is on Proverbs 21:9. Study the occurrences of quarrelsome in the Bible.]
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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