This verse is an observation about human behavior: a person with the wrong attitude can be the cause of much trouble and strife, which will cease if the troublemaker is removed from the situation. The second line adds a clause that parallels and extends the meaning of the last part of the first line.

“Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out”: For “a scoffer” see the comments at 1.22. In this context the focus is probably on the person’s attitude of conceit and disrespect for others, expressed in speech that insults or hurts. Good News Translation “a conceited person” and Contemporary English Version “those who insult others” express this well. “Drive out” may also be expressed in English by such words as “expel” (New Jerusalem Bible, Scott), “banish” (Revised English Bible), and “get rid of” (Good News Translation). For the term translated “strife” see 10.12; see also 6.14, 19 (Revised Standard Version “discord”) and 18.19; 26.20 (Revised Standard Version “quarreling”). “Will go out” means that the trouble will go away or disappear, it “will come to an end” (Contemporary English Version), “there will be no more arguments” (Good News Translation). In a number of languages the natural way to express this is “[fighting talk] will finish.”

“And quarreling and abuse will cease”: The Septuagint reflects a different text for this line; but hardly any modern versions follow it, and Hebrew Old Testament Text Project recommends following the Hebrew (“B” rating). The whole line is parallel and similar in meaning to “strife will go out” in the first line. The term translated “quarreling” mostly has the sense of “judgment” or “condemnation” and hence “legal strife” or “lawsuits” (New Jerusalem Bible); in this context, however, it seems to have a more general sense of “quarreling” or “argument.” “Abuse” means basically “disgrace” or “dishonor,” and in particular the sort of talk that inflicts dishonor or shame on others. It is well translated as “insults” (New International Version) or “name-calling” (Scott, Good News Translation). “Will cease” means “will end,” “will come to an end” (Contemporary English Version), or “will disappear.”

Since the terms of the second line are very similar in meaning to “strife” in the first line, it is possible to restructure the verse to bring these terms together; for example, “Arguments and fights will come to an end, if you chase away those who insult others” (Contemporary English Version). See Good News Translation also.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .