A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.
A brother who has been hurt or wronged is harder to win back than conquering a fortified city, and their arguments are like the iron bars of a castle.
This verse is saying that damaged relationships with close friends or family are extremely difficult to repair and can create barriers that seem nearly impossible to break through.
📚 Historical Context
This proverb was written during a time when fortified cities with thick walls and iron-barred gates were considered nearly impossible to conquer. The imagery would have been very powerful to ancient readers who understood how formidable these military defenses were. In that culture, family and close relationships were especially sacred, making betrayal or offense between 'brothers' (close companions) particularly devastating.
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