Proverbs 27:17
New International Version
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

New Living Translation
As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.

English Standard Version
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

Berean Standard Bible
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

King James Bible
Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

New King James Version
As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

New American Standard Bible
As iron sharpens iron, So one person sharpens another.

NASB 1995
Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.

NASB 1977
Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.

Legacy Standard Bible
Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.

Amplified Bible
As iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens [and influences] another [through discussion].

Christian Standard Bible
Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

American Standard Version
Iron sharpeneth iron; So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Iron sharpens iron, and a man sharpens the person of his neighbor.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Iron sharpens iron; and a man sharpens his friend's countenance.

Contemporary English Version
Just as iron sharpens iron, friends sharpen the minds of each other.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

English Revised Version
Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
[As] iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens the wits of another.

Good News Translation
People learn from one another, just as iron sharpens iron.

International Standard Version
Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens a friend's character.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Iron sharpeneth iron; So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Literal Standard Version
Iron is sharpened by iron, | And a man sharpens the face of his friend.

Majority Standard Bible
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

New American Bible
Iron is sharpened by iron; one person sharpens another.

NET Bible
As iron sharpens iron, so a person sharpens his friend.

New Revised Standard Version
Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens the wits of another.

New Heart English Bible
Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend's countenance.

Webster's Bible Translation
Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

World English Bible
Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance.

Young's Literal Translation
Iron by iron is sharpened, And a man sharpens the face of his friend.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Do not Boast about Tomorrow
16restraining her is like holding back the wind or grasping oil with one’s right hand. 17As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. 18Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who looks after his master will be honored.…

Cross References
Proverbs 27:16
restraining her is like holding back the wind or grasping oil with one's right hand.

Proverbs 27:18
Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who looks after his master will be honored.


Treasury of Scripture

Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

iron

1 Samuel 13:20,21
But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock…

Joshua 1:18
Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.

Joshua 2:24
And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.

1 Samuel 11:9,10
And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabeshgilead, To morrow, by that time the sun be hot, ye shall have help. And the messengers came and shewed it to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad…

Jump to Previous
Countenance Face Friend Friend's Iron Makes Sharp Sharpened Sharpeneth Sharpens
Jump to Next
Countenance Face Friend Friend's Iron Makes Sharp Sharpened Sharpeneth Sharpens
Proverbs 27
1. observations of self love
5. of true love
11. of care to avoid offenses
23. and of the household care














(17) So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend--i.e., the play of wit with wit sharpens and brightens up the face.

Verse 17. - Iron sharpeneth iron. The proverb deals with the influence which men have upon one another. So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. So the Vulgate, Homo exacuit faciem amici sui. The action of the file is probably meant (1 Samuel 13:21); and the writer names iron as the sharpener rather than the whetstone, because he wishes to denote that one man is of the same nature as another, and that this identity is that which makes mutual action possible and advantageous. Some have taken the proverb in a bad sense, as if it meant that one angry word leads to another, one man's passion excites another's rage. Thus Aben Ezra. The Septuagint perhaps supports this notion by rendering, Ἀνὴρ δὲ παροξύνει πρόσωπον ἑταίρου. But the best commentators understand the maxim to say that intercourse with other men influences the manner, appearance, deportment, and character of a man, sharpens his wits, controls his conduct, and brightens his very face. Horace uses the same figure of speech, 'Ars Poet.,' 304 -

"Fungar vice cotis, acutum
Reddere quae ferrum valet, exsors ipsa secaudi."
On the subject of mutual intercourse Euripides says, 'Androm.,' 683 -

Ἡ δ ὁμυλία
Πάντων βροτοῖσι γίγνεται διδάσκαλος

"Companionship
Is that which teaches mortals everything."


Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
As iron
בַּרְזֶ֣ל (bar·zel)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1270: Iron, an iron implement

sharpens
יָ֑חַד (yā·ḥaḏ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2300: To be, sharp, severe

iron,
בְּבַרְזֶ֣ל (bə·ḇar·zel)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1270: Iron, an iron implement

so one man
וְ֝אִ֗ישׁ (wə·’îš)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

sharpens
יַ֣חַד (ya·ḥaḏ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2300: To be, sharp, severe

another.
רֵעֵֽהוּ׃ (rê·‘ê·hū)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7453: Friend, companion, fellow


Links
Proverbs 27:17 NIV
Proverbs 27:17 NLT
Proverbs 27:17 ESV
Proverbs 27:17 NASB
Proverbs 27:17 KJV

Proverbs 27:17 BibleApps.com
Proverbs 27:17 Biblia Paralela
Proverbs 27:17 Chinese Bible
Proverbs 27:17 French Bible
Proverbs 27:17 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 27:16
Top of Page
Top of Page