Contrasting verses contain an antithesis a contrast or opposition of thoughts in two phrases or sentences. Antithetic means opposite. Chapters 10-15 of Proverbs are characterized by contrasting parallelism. They are called The Antithetic Collection . A key word is but .
Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love covers all offenses.
An empty stable stays clean, but no income comes from an empty stable. A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person s strength. 17.22 NLT 3. Complementing the second line advances the thought of the first. The meaning and application of the proverb come from the way the second statement complements the first.