«A hot-tempered man stirs up strife»: «A hot-tempered man» is literally “a man of wrath.” “Wrath” is the same word used in verse 1. «A hot-tempered man» is a person who is quick-tempered or easily angered. He is the opposite of the person who is «slow to anger» in the next line. «Stirs up strife» means “causes arguments” or “. . . disputes.”

«But he who is slow to anger quiets contention»: Note that New Revised Standard Version avoids the strictly male language with “those who” in both lines of this verse. «Slow to anger», as in 14.29, means that such a person does not become angry quickly. «Quiets contention» means “calms fighting people,” or “cools the hearts of quarrelers.”

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 .