Sirach 22:24 - Before fire is the vapor and smoke of a furnace; So revilings before bloodshed.

Generated Verse: Sirach 22:24

What does "Sirach 22:24" mean?


Sirach 22:24, "Before fire is the vapor and smoke of a furnace; So revilings before bloodshed," uses a simile to illustrate the escalation of conflict. Let's break it down:

"Before fire is the vapor and smoke of a furnace..." When you're about to have a roaring fire in a furnace, you see smoke and vapor first. These are clear signs that the fire is coming, and things are about to heat up, quite literally.

"...So revilings before bloodshed." This means that insulting words, harsh criticisms, and general verbal abuse ("revilings") are a warning sign that violence ("bloodshed") is likely to follow. Just as smoke precedes fire, harsh words often precede physical conflict.

In essence, the verse is a proverb warning about the dangers of heated words. It suggests that verbal aggression should be taken seriously because it's a precursor to more serious harm. Ignoring insults and heated arguments can lead to physical violence.
It highlights the importance of controlling one's tongue and de-escalating conflict before it gets out of hand. Revilings are dangerous because they can inflame emotions and lead to irreversible actions.

Therefore, the verse is a call to wisdom and restraint in speech, recognizing that words have power and can be a spark that ignites a destructive fire.

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