# Proverbs 18.17 **Book:** [Proverbs](/codex/proverbs/) · NASB95 ## Immediate context (±2 verses) **ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/)) > 15. The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; And the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge. 16. A man's gift maketh room for him, And bringeth him before great men. > > **17. He that pleadeth his cause first seemeth just; But his neighbor cometh and searcheth him out.** > > 18. The lot causeth contentions to cease, And parteth between the mighty. 19. A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city; And such contentions are like the bars of a castle. (Proverbs 18:15-19, ASV) **WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/)) > 15. The heart of the discerning gets knowledge. The ear of the wise seeks knowledge. 16. A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men. > > **17. He who pleads his cause first seems right; until another comes and questions him.** > > 18. The lot settles disputes, and keeps strong ones apart. 19. A brother offended is more difficult than a fortified city; and disputes are like the bars of a fortress. (Proverbs 18:15-19, WEB) **KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/)) > 15. The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge. 16. A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men. > > **17. He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.** > > 18. The lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty. 19. A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle. (Proverbs 18:15-19, KJV) **YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/)) > 15. The heart of the intelligent getteth knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge. 16. The gift of a man maketh room for him, And before the great it leadeth him. > > **17. Righteous [is] the first in his own cause, His neighbour cometh and hath searched him.** > > 18. The lot causeth contentions to cease, And between the mighty it separateth. 19. A brother transgressed against is as a strong city, And contentions as the bar of a palace. (Proverbs 18:15-19, YLT) ## Setting - **Speaker:** _TBD_ - **Audience:** _TBD_ - **Location:** _TBD_ - **Time period:** _TBD_ ## Theological reading _Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._ ## Key words _Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._ - _TBD_ - _TBD_ - _TBD_ - _TBD_ ## Quoted in **Arguments and defeaters:** - [Argument from Epistemic Normativity](/codex/argument-from-epistemic-normativity/) **Concepts:** - [Evidentialism](/codex/evidentialism/) ## Notes _Your annotations._ ## Why these four translations ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance. The four: - **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition. - **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English. - **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base. - **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff. See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.