KJV ORIGINAL
He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Someone who gets involved in an argument that has nothing to do with them is like a person who grabs a dog by the ears.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse warns that inserting yourself into other people's conflicts will likely end badly for you, just like grabbing a dog's ears will get you bitten.
📚 Historical Context
This proverb comes from ancient Israel's wisdom literature, where practical life lessons were often taught through vivid, memorable comparisons. In that culture, dogs were typically not pets but semi-wild scavengers, making grabbing one by the ears an obviously dangerous and foolish act. The saying would have been immediately understood by people familiar with such animals.
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