Proverbs 16:32

Better to be slow to anger ¹  than to be a mighty warrior, and one who controls his temper ²  is better than ³  one who captures a city. ⁴ 

Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.

He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.

It is better to be patient than powerful; it is better to have self–control than to conquer a city.

Moderation is better than muscle, self-control better than political power.

He who is slow to be angry is better than a man of war, and he who has control over his spirit than he who takes a town.

One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and one whose temper is controlled than one who captures a city.

He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

Better to be slow to anger ¹  than to be a mighty warrior, and one who controls his temper ²  is better than ³  one who captures a city. ⁴ 

¹ tn One who is “slow to anger” is a patient person (cf. NAB, NIV, NLT). This is explained further in the parallel line by the description of “one who rules his spirit” (וּמֹשֵׁל בְּרוּחוֹ, umoshel bÿrukho), meaning “controls his temper.” This means the person has the emotions under control and will not “fly off the handle” quickly.

² tn Heb “who rules his spirit” (so NASB).

³ tn The phrase “is better than” does not appear in this line in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the parallelism.

⁴ sn The saying would have had greater impact when military prowess was held in high regard. It is harder, and therefore better, to control one’s passions than to do some great exploit on the battlefield.