Proverbs 4:24

Put away from thee a forward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
– Proverbs 4:24

Froward and perverse both carry the thought of crooked. They describe speech which is bent away from the straight way of wisdom. They are opposite of righteousness (Proverbs 8:8). Guarding the heart and mind is primarily a guarding of input and storage. We are also to give diligence to guard the product of heart and mind as well. The mouth and lips are obviously put for speech. Many exhortations, admonitions, and reproofs concerning speech await us in the Proverbs. So wisdom entails the governing of our tongues, which is no small feat and is accomplished with no small effort (James 3:3-8).

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