10:12

This proverb contrasts the opposite results of hatred and love.

12a
Hatred stirs up dissension,

12b but love covers all transgressions.

A person who is motivated by hatred causes conflict with another person who has wronged him. By contrast, a person who is motivated by love forgives the other person for the wrong that he has done.

10:12a

Hatred stirs up dissension: In this context, the verb stirs up means to start or cause. The word dissension is plural in Hebrew. It refers to misunderstandings, conflicts, or quarrels between people. Another way to translate this line is:

Hate starts quarrels (God’s Word)

10:12b

but love covers all transgressions: The verb covers is the same verb that is used in 10:6b and 10:11b. Here it is used figuratively. It means that love overlooks, excuses, or forgives all wrongs.

all transgressions: This phrase refers to all kinds of offenses or sins that another person commits against the one who loves.

Another way to translate this line is:

but love forgives all offenses (Good News Translation)

The same idea is found in 1 Peter 4:8. If you use cross-references in your translation, you may want to add a footnote such as:

See 1 Peter 4:8.

General Comment on 10:12a–b

There is personification in both lines of this verse. In the first line, “hatred” is described as someone who starts quarrels. In the second line, “love” is described as someone who forgives the wrongs committed against it.

If personification is not natural in your language, you may need to translate the meaning without using this figure of speech. For example:

A person who hates someone else causes disagreements between them. But a person who loves his fellow man will forgive him if that person sins against him in any way.
-or-
If there is someone whom you hate, you will start to quarrel with that person. If you love him, you will forgive him for anything wrong that he does against you.

© 2012, 2016, 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.