Psalms 31:22

31:22 I jumped to conclusions and said,

“I am cut off from your presence!”

But you heard my plea for mercy when I cried out to you for help.

Psalms 116:11

116:11 I rashly declared,

“All men are liars.”

Proverbs 14:29

14:29 The one who is slow to anger has great understanding,

but the one who has a quick temper exalts folly.

Proverbs 29:20

29:20 Do you see someone who is hasty in his words?

There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Ecclesiastes 7:9

7:9 Do not let yourself be quickly provoked,

for anger resides in the lap 10  of fools.

Mark 6:25

6:25 Immediately she hurried back to the king and made her request: 11  “I want the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately.”

James 1:19

Living Out the Message

1:19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! 12  Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.


tn Heb “and I, I said in my haste.”

tn Heb “from before your eyes.”

tn Heb “I said in my haste.”

tn Heb “hasty of spirit” (so KJV, ASV); NRSV, NLT “a hasty temper.” One who has a quick temper or a short fuse will be evident to everyone, due to his rash actions.

sn The participle “exalts” (מֵרִים, merim) means that this person brings folly to a full measure, lifts it up, brings it to the full notice of everybody.

tn Heb “a man,” but there is no indication in the immediate context that this should be limited only to males.

sn The focus of this proverb is on someone who is hasty in his words. This is the person who does not stop to think, but acts on the spur of the moment. To speak before thinking is foolishness.

sn Rash speech cannot easily be remedied. The prospects for a fool are better (e.g., Prov 26:12).

tn Heb “Do not be hasty in your spirit to become angry.”

10 tn Heb “bosom.”

11 tn Grk “she asked, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant and has not been translated.

12 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.