Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights that a curse uttered without a genuine reason is as ineffective as trying to catch a bird in flight. It emphasizes that such words, lacking substance or just cause, simply flutter away without landing their intended blow.
Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This proverb appears in a section of Proverbs where wisdom is contrasted with foolishness, and the author uses vivid imagery to make his point. It comes right after a description of how fools react impulsively and carelessly. This verse offers reassurance that baseless accusations or ill will, much like birds that flutter aimlessly and don't settle, will ultimately fall harmlessly, unable to truly impact someone undeservedly cursed.
Have you ever felt unfairly blamed? This proverb paints a vivid picture of how unfounded accusations often miss their mark.
Proverbs 26:2 uses the imagery of birds to illustrate the ineffectiveness of curses spoken without cause.
Birds on the Wing
This doesn't mean curses are never real, but it assures us that those aimed at the innocent, without any legitimate grievance, are ultimately hollow and will not have a lasting impact.
We often hear about the power of words, but this verse highlights that their power is directly tied to their foundation.
Ask a follow-up
The core of Proverbs 26:2 rests on the idea of 'cause' or 'reason.' A curse isn't just a random string of negative words; it implies a judgment or consequence for a wrong action.
When Curses Fall Flat
Understand the original words
qəlālāh · Hebrew Noun
An utterance expressing a wish for evil or calamity to befall someone; it carries the power of divine judgment if spoken justly, but is rendered impotent when spoken without cause or truth.
This passage shows Goliath cursing David, but because David had a just cause (defending Israel and God's honor), Goliath's curse was ultimately ineffective and reflected back on him.
Job 5:3Similar to Proverbs, this verse speaks of a fool's curse being ineffective, comparing it to the fruitless efforts of a 'foolish curse'.
Psalm 109:17This psalm speaks of a curse that rebounds on the one who uttered it, echoing the idea that unjust curses do not achieve their intended purpose and often return to the sender.
Matthew 10:13Jesus tells his disciples that if their greeting of peace is met with rejection, that peace should return to them, implying that blessings (and by extension, curses) do not simply land where they are arbitrarily sent but have a directed or returning nature.
gillProverbs 26:2: "As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come."
As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying,.... As a bird, particularly the sparrow, as the word (h) is sometimes rendered, leaves its nest and wanders from it; and flies here and there, and settles nowhere; and as the swallow flies to the place from whence it came; or the wild pigeon, as some (i) think is meant, which flies away very swiftly: the swallow has its name in Hebrew fr…
jfbProverbs 26:2: "As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come."
- Though not obvious to us,the bird—literally, "sparrow"—andswallow—have an object in their motions, so penal evil falls on none without a reason.
The verse highlights that a curse uttered without a genuine reason is as ineffective as trying to catch a bird in flight. It emphasizes that such words, lacking substance or just cause, simply flutter away without landing their intended blow.
This proverb appears in a section of Proverbs where wisdom is contrasted with foolishness, and the author uses vivid imagery to make his point. It comes right after a description of how fools react impulsively and carelessly. This verse offers reassurance that baseless accusations or ill will, much like birds that flutter aimlessly and don't settle, will ultimately fall harmlessly, unable to truly impact someone undeservedly cursed.
This proverb appears in a section of Proverbs where wisdom is contrasted with foolishness, and the author uses vivid imagery to make his point. It comes right after a description of how fools react impulsively and carelessly. This verse offers reassurance that baseless accusations or ill will, much like birds that flutter aimlessly and don't settle, will ultimately fall harmlessly, unable to truly impact someone undeservedly cursed.
"Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight." — The verse highlights that a curse uttered without a genuine reason is as ineffective as trying to catch a bird in flight. It emphasizes that such words, lacking substance or just cause, simply flutte…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026