Rashness

Rashness is speaking or acting in haste without thought, and it leads to folly, want and regret. This page lists verses on hasty words, quick anger, rash vows, the outcome of haste, thinking before acting, and rash acts and their cost.

Hasty words

• Proverbs 29:20
  Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him.Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
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• Ecclesiastes 5:2
  Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. After all, God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few.
  Show context · Read Ecclesiastes 5 →
• Proverbs 18:13
  He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.He who answers a matter before he hears it— this is folly and disgrace to him.
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• James 1:19
  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,
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• Psalm 116:11
  I said in my haste, All men are liars.In my alarm I said, “All men are liars!”
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Quick to anger

• Proverbs 14:29
  He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man promotes folly.
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• Ecclesiastes 7:9
  Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.
  Show context · Read Ecclesiastes 7 →
• Proverbs 15:18
  A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger calms dispute.
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• Proverbs 16:32
  He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.He who is slow to anger is better than a warrior, and he who controls his temper is greater than one who captures a city.
  Show context · Read Proverbs 16 →

Rash vows

• Ecclesiastes 5:4-6
  ⁴When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow. ⁵Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it. ⁶Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, and do not tell the messenger that your vow was a mistake. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands?
  Show context · Read Ecclesiastes 5 →
• Proverbs 20:25
  It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly, only later to reconsider his vows.
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• Deuteronomy 23:21-23
  ²¹When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to keep it, because He will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. ²²But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty of sin. ²³That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the Lord thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.Be careful to follow through on what comes from your lips, because you have freely vowed to the LORD your God with your own mouth.
  Show context · Read Deuteronomy 23 →
• Judges 11:30-31
  ³⁰And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,Jephthah made this vow to the LORD: “If indeed You will deliver the Ammonites into my hand, ³¹Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.then whatever comes out the door of my house to greet me on my triumphant return from the Ammonites will belong to the LORD, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”
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• Judges 11:34-35
  ³⁴And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.And when Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, there was his daughter coming out to meet him with tambourines and dancing! She was his only child; he had no son or daughter besides her. ³⁵And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back.As soon as Jephthah saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “No! Not my daughter! You have brought me to my knees! You have brought great misery upon me, for I have given my word to the LORD and cannot take it back.”
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The outcome of haste

• Proverbs 21:5
  The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.The plans of the diligent bring plenty, as surely as haste leads to poverty.
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• Proverbs 19:2
  Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.Even zeal is no good without knowledge, and he who hurries his footsteps misses the mark.
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• Proverbs 28:20
  A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.A faithful man will abound with blessings, but one eager to be rich will not go unpunished.
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• Proverbs 20:21
  An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.An inheritance gained quickly will not be blessed in the end.
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Thinking before acting

• Luke 14:28-31
  ²⁸For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it? ²⁹Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,Otherwise, if he lays the foundation and is unable to finish the work, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, ³⁰Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.saying, ‘This man could not finish what he started to build.’ ³¹Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
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• Proverbs 14:15
  The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.The simple man believes every word, but the prudent man watches his steps.
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• Proverbs 15:28
  The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked blurts out evil.
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• Proverbs 22:3
  A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.The prudent see danger and take cover, but the simple keep going and suffer the consequences.
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• Proverbs 25:8
  Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.do not bring hastily to court. Otherwise, what will you do in the end when your neighbor puts you to shame?
  Show context · Read Proverbs 25 →

Rash acts and their cost

• Numbers 20:10-12
  ¹⁰And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Listen now, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” ¹¹And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the congregation and their livestock were able to drink. ¹²And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me to show My holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”
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• Psalm 106:32-33
  ³²They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes:At the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD, and trouble came to Moses because of them. ³³Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.For they rebelled against His Spirit, and Moses spoke rashly with his lips.
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• 1 Samuel 13:11-13
  ¹¹And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;“What have you done?” Samuel asked. And Saul replied, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me, and that you did not come at the appointed time and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash, ¹²Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will descend upon me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the LORD.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.” ¹³And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.“You have acted foolishly,” Samuel declared. “You have not kept the command that the LORD your God gave you; if you had, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.
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• John 18:10-11
  ¹⁰Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.Then Simon Peter drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. ¹¹Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?“Put your sword back in its sheath!” Jesus said to Peter. “Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given Me?”
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See also

• Self-control
• Anger
• Speech
• Vows and oaths
• Patience
• Prudence

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.