Translations
F.O.G.MPrimary
F.O.G MessageA man with no self-control is like a city whose walls have crumbled — wide open, utterly defenceless against every enemy.
F.O.GSecondary
The F.O.GA city breached with no walls — such is the man who has no restraint over his own spirit.
KJV
King James VersionHe that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
BSB
Berean Standard BibleLike a city whose walls are broken down is a man who does not control his temper.
Footnotes
רוּחַ (*ruach*) — spirit/wind/breath, here referring to the inner life, temperament, and emotional energy of a person. The city-without-walls metaphor would have been viscerally understood in the ancient Near East: a breached city was a conquered city, exposed to plunder and destruction with no line of defence. Lack of inner restraint leaves a person equally exposed — every external assault finds entry and every internal chaos goes unchecked. FOG uses 'spirit' for *ruach*; FOG Message draws out the military metaphor to its full terrifying implication, making the stakes of self-mastery impossible to miss.