Posted by Jeff Short on July 14, 2017 · Leave a Comment
A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!
– Proverbs 15:23
This proverb presents a dual blessing of wisdom. Wise words spoken at right times bless both the speaker and the hearer. Whether or not a man possesses wisdom will often be revealed in his speech (Proverbs 12:16; Ecclesiastes 5:3). This proverb focuses on the positive effect of wise words. The speaker has joy by speaking wisdom that is received (Proverbs 12:14). The hearer has joy by receiving wisdom and benefiting from it (Proverbs 12:14; 16:13; 24:26; 25:11-12).
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Posted by Jeff Short on June 28, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so.
– Proverbs 15:7
The contrast between
lips and
heart causes difficulty among commentators. The
heart is put for the mind and
lips obviously refer to speech. There is a similar contrast in Proverbs 10:20. The
wise will spread
knowledge with their
lips because they have wisdom (Proverbs 14:18). The
heart, or mind, of the
foolish is not filled with wisdom, so they obviously cannot speak or spread wisdom (Proverbs 10:21). Fools pursue folly and take delight in it (Proverbs 15:21). He takes in folly like a panting dog licking up water and dirt (Proverbs 15:14). He in turn pours out folly because that is what he has (Proverbs 13:16; 15:2).
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Posted by Jeff Short on June 25, 2017 · Leave a Comment
A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the Spirit.
– Proverbs 15:4
This proverb contrasts the power of words to either heal or hurt (Proverbs 18:21). The word for
wholesome means curative, or healing. The
tree of life imagery speaks of life-giving, as here with the
wholesome tongue. Wise and apt speech gives health and life (Proverbs 16:24). The word for
perverseness refers to distortion or crookedness. What is bent or distorted is obviously the way of wisdom. Such perverseness is a mark of transgressors (Proverbs 11:3). The word for
breach means a fracture, or crushing. These words are damaging inwardly and outwardly (Proverbs 18:8).
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Posted by Jeff Short on June 23, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.
– Proverbs 15:2
The
tongue and
mouth here are figures for speech, spoken words. The word for
useth … aright means skillfully, or to do well. The words a
wise man uses are thoughtful and deliberately chosen (Proverbs 15:28; 16:23). He has control over his tongue, which means his words will also be fewer (Proverbs 17:28). The contrast is with
fools who
poureth out, or gush forth,
foolishness. Fools are quick to speak, which means their words are thoughtless (Proverbs 29:20). Fools also pour out a great quantity of words without restraint (Proverbs 10:19; 15:28; 29:11; Ecclesiastes 10:14).
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Posted by Jeff Short on June 22, 2017 · Leave a Comment
Introduction
Chapters 10 to 22 are the second major section of the Proverbs, known as “The proverbs of Solomon.” This section divides into two parts. Chapters 10 to 15 are the first division with 185 proverbs that are primarily two-line, antithetical parallel phrases. Chapter 15 is the last chapter of the first division and has proverbs on various subjects, such as speech, correction, laziness, bribes, God’s omniscience, and teachability.
A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
– Proverbs 15:1
The word for soft means tender, and when used of words, refers to gentleness. An answer is a reply and the word for turneth away means to turn back, or in this case, to prevent wrath. A wise man is a calm, clear thinking man who controls his speech (Proverbs 17:27) and chooses his words carefully (Proverbs 15:23, 28). The soft answer here is wise speech that calms anger and restores reasonableness. The contrast is grievous, or painful words. These are words that provoke. The word for stir up means to go up and refers to increasing anger. The stirring up of anger comes from pride (Proverbs 28:25), hatred (Proverbs 10:12), and an angry temperament (Proverbs 29:22). It is the mark of a fool (Proverbs 14:17).
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Posted by Jeff Short on June 9, 2017 · Leave a Comment
In all labor there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.
– Proverbs 14:23
Proverbs doesn’t provide a shortcut to riches, but it does consistently assure us there is
profit in diligent work. The word for
profit means a gain, or increase. The sure way to it is
labor, or toil (Proverbs 28:19). The contrast to hard work is idle talk, the
talk of the lips. The word for
penury means want, or lack. It can indicate poverty. Idle talk can be in many forms, such as excuses (Proverbs 22:13; 26:13), talking rather than listening (Proverbs 26:16), or pursuing quick schemes (Proverbs 28:19). These sort usually have big ideas about what they’re going to do, but it is always going to be done and never done.
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Posted by Jeff Short on May 19, 2017 · Leave a Comment
In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.
– Proverbs 14:3
The phrase,
rod of pride, is difficult with various interpretations. The words,
mouth and
lips, are here put for speech, so the proverb is speaking to the fruits of our speech. In that light, the rod of pride speaks of some hurt that comes to the
foolish for their foolish speech. Solomon wrote foolish words call for punishment (Proverbs 18:6) and that punishment will be reaped (Proverbs 22:8). The
wise shall be kept or delivered from trouble through wise speech (Proverbs 12:6).
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Posted by Jeff Short on April 24, 2017 · Leave a Comment
He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.
– Proverbs 13:3
This proverb is about controlling one’s mouth, or speech. Keeping one’s mouth refers to guarding or keeping watch over your mouth. Regulating speech is a recurring theme in the Proverbs (Proverbs 10:19). In most cases, it is better to say too little than too much. The indication in the first phrase is that keeping the
mouth also keeps the
life (Proverbs 21:23). The word for
openeth wide in this context means to be talkative. “The mouth of fools poureth out foolishness” (Proverbs 15:2). The consequence of open-mouth talking is
destruction, or ruin (Proverbs 12:13).
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Posted by Jeff Short on April 23, 2017 · Leave a Comment
A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence.
– Proverbs 13:2
This proverb relies on the general principle of sowing and reaping. In this case, words are the seed sown and either
good or
violence is reaped. The first phrase deals with wise words and their return of
good (Proverbs 12:14; 18:20). The word for
transgressors means traitors. It indicates acting deceitfully. Such men use their words deceitfully to fulfill their plans (Proverbs 1:11-13). Their love and pursuit of
violence through their speech brings it back on their own heads eventually (Proverbs 1:31).
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Proverbs 15:23
Posted by Jeff Short on July 14, 2017 · Leave a Comment
A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!
This proverb presents a dual blessing of wisdom. Wise words spoken at right times bless both the speaker and the hearer. Whether or not a man possesses wisdom will often be revealed in his speech (Proverbs 12:16; Ecclesiastes 5:3). This proverb focuses on the positive effect of wise words. The speaker has joy by speaking wisdom that is received (Proverbs 12:14). The hearer has joy by receiving wisdom and benefiting from it (Proverbs 12:14; 16:13; 24:26; 25:11-12).– Proverbs 15:23
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