Whether you're a follower of faith or not, the Bible is filled with wisdom that offers guidance on navigating life's tricky terrain. It's brimming with lessons about empathy, compassion, and navigating disagreements without losing sight of love and respect.
To help manage conflicts more constructively, we've compiled a helpful list of 30 Bible verses about arguing, accompanied by 17 insightful quotes to deepen your understanding and foster reflection.
"A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger."
- Proverbs 15:1
"It is honorable for a man to stop striving, Since any fool can start a quarrel."
- Proverbs 20:3
"He who loves transgression loves strife, And he who exalts his gate seeks destruction."
- Proverbs 17:19
"Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases."
- Proverbs 26:20
"But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife."
- 2 Timothy 2:23
"A wrathful man stirs up strife, But he who is slow to anger allays contention."
- Proverbs 15:18
"If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him."
- Luke 17:3
"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."
- Ephesians 4:31-32
"So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath."
- James 1:19
"But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless."
- Titus 3:9
"Strive not with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm."
- Proverbs 3:30
"Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him."
- Proverbs 26:4
"Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one."
- Colossians 4:6
"Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones."
- Proverbs 16:24
"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold In settings of silver."
- Proverbs 25:11
"An angry man stirs up strife, And a furious man abounds in transgression."
- Proverbs 29:22
"For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there."
- James 3:16
"A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends."
- Proverbs 16:28
"A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, But he who is slow to anger appeases contention."
- Proverbs 15:18
"The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression."
- Proverbs 19:11
"He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, But he who is impulsive exalts folly."
- Proverbs 14:29
"He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends."
- Proverbs 17:9
"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."
- 1 Peter 4:8
"Let all that you do be done with love."
- 1 Corinthians 16:14
"By humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches and honor and life."
- Proverbs 22:4
"Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, And before honor is humility."
- Proverbs 18:12
"Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice."
- Proverbs 13:10
"Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it. But the correction of fools is folly."
- Proverbs 16:22
"He who has knowledge spares his words, And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit."
- Proverbs 17:27
"The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge."
- Proverbs 18:15
"The wise in heart will receive commands, But a prating fool will fall."
- Proverbs 10:8
"A fool has no delight in understanding, But in expressing his own heart."
- Proverbs 18:2
"He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction."
- Proverbs 13:3
"A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, But he who is slow to anger appeases contention."
- Proverbs 15:18
"The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression."
- Proverbs 19:11
"He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, But he who is impulsive exalts folly."
- Proverbs 14:29
"He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends."
- Proverbs 17:9
"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."
- 1 Peter 4:8
"Let all that you do be done with love."
- 1 Corinthians 16:14
"By humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches and honor and life."
- Proverbs 22:4
"Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, And before honor is humility."
- Proverbs 18:12
"Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice."
- Proverbs 13:10
"Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it. But the correction of fools is folly."
- Proverbs 16:22
"He who has knowledge spares his words, And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit."
- Proverbs 17:27
"The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge."
- Proverbs 18:15
"Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."
- Matthew 5:23-24
"Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do."
- Colossians 3:13
"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you."
- Matthew 6:14
"So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath."
- James 1:19
"He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him."
- Proverbs 18:13
"In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise."
- Proverbs 10:19
"Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body."
- Ephesians 4:25
"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ."
- Ephesians 4:15
"A truthful witness saves lives, But he who speaks lies will perish."
- Proverbs 14:25
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit."
- Proverbs 18:21
"A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger."
- Proverbs 15:1
"Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones."
- Proverbs 16:24
"Whoever has no rule over his own spirit Is like a city broken down, without walls."
- Proverbs 25:28
"Be angry, and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath."
- Ephesians 4:26
"He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city."
- Proverbs 16:32
"Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."
- Matthew 5:23-24
"Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do."
- Colossians 3:13
"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you."
- Matthew 6:14
"So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath."
- James 1:19
"He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him."
- Proverbs 18:13
"In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise."
- Proverbs 10:19
"Differing weights are an abomination to the Lord, And dishonest scales are not good."
- Proverbs 20:23
"A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, But a just weight is His delight."
- Proverbs 11:1
"These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace."
- Zechariah 8:16
"Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God."
- Matthew 5:9
"If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men."
- Romans 12:18
"Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it."
- Psalm 34:14
"Better is a dry morsel with quietness, Than a house full of feasting with strife."
- Proverbs 17:1
"The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts."
- Proverbs 17:14
"A continual dripping on a very rainy day And a contentious woman are alike."
- Proverbs 27:15
"The beginning of an argument is like the first break in a dam; stop it before it goes any further."
- Joyce Meyer
"The less Holy Spirit we have, the more cake and coffee we need to keep the church going."
- Reinhard Bonnke
"The best way to resolve any problem in the human world is for all sides to sit down and talk."
- Dalai Lama
"Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret."
- Ambrose Bierce
"Preach the gospel at all times; if necessary, use words."
- St. Francis of Assisi
"I have found that the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it."
- Harry S. Truman
"It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Never hold onto anything tighter than you're holding onto God."
- Jefferson Bethke
"A person's wisdom yields patience; it is to one's glory to overlook an offense."
- Warren Wiersbe
"God never said that the journey would be easy, but He did say that the arrival would be worthwhile."
- Max Lucado
"Faith does not eliminate questions. But faith knows where to take them."
- Elisabeth Elliot
"Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing yet had been done."
- C.S. Lewis
"Your potential is the sum of all the possibilities God has for your life."
- Charles Stanley
"Sometimes God allows what he hates to accomplish what he loves."
- Joni Eareckson Tada
"Don't dig up in doubt what you planted in faith."
- Elisabeth Elliot
"God does not give us everything we want, but He does fulfill His promises, leading us along the best and straightest paths to Himself."
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength."
- Corrie Ten Boom
"For as churning cream produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife."
- Proverbs 30:33
"The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts."
- Proverbs 17:14
"Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife."
- Proverbs 17:1
No matter our beliefs, the Bible contains profound wisdom that can guide us through the complexities of life. In this compilation of 30 Bible verses about arguing, accompanied by 17 insightful quotes, we are reminded of the importance of empathy, respect, and maintaining love amidst disagreements.
These teachings invite us to approach conflicts with understanding and seek peaceful resolutions. By reflecting on these verses and quotes, we can strive for constructive communication, fostering harmony and mutual understanding in our interactions with others.