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Commentary Critical and Explanatory

Proverbs 15:4

A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.

A wholesome tongue - sound in itself and healthful to others, by its knowledge, prudence, sincerity: speech framed according to the laws of the heavenly pharmacopoeia, with the various Scripture ingredients for healing soul-sickness, and for strengthening those spiritually well (Gejer). But perverseness therein (is) a breach in the spirit. Deceit, error, reviling, filthy speaking, and frivolity, not only do not heal the sick in soul, but increase their spiritual malady, and corrupt those whole, tainting their integrity, and affecting them with various evils.

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See also Proverbs 15:4 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Proverbs 15:4. _A WHOLESOME TONGUE_ IS _A TREE OF LIFE_] Here again is an allusion to the paradisiacal tree, עץ חיים _ets chaiyim_, "the tree of lives....

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    A WHOLESOME TONGUE - literally, as in the margin, the same word as “sound” in Proverbs 14:30 (see the note). A more literal rendering would be soundness of speech. TREE OF LIFE - Compare Proverbs 3:1...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 15 THE BETTER THINGS One can read through the proverbs recorded in this chapter and ask the question, What are the better things? A soft answer which turneth away wrath is better than grievou...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    PROVERBS 15. This chapter makes no new departure. Proverbs concerning the moral government of the world again occupy the chief place. One (Proverbs 15:11) is noteworthy as showing an extended concepti...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    A WHOLESOME TONGUE. Gentleness of tongue. TREE OF LIFE. See Genesis 2:9; Genesis 3:22; Genesis 3:24. Compare Proverbs 3:18;...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _wholesome_ See Proverbs 14:30, where the same Heb. word is rendered _sound_, and note there, and comp. ὑγιαίνοντες λόγοι, 1 Timothy 6:3; 2 Timothy 1:13, and λόγος ὑγιής,...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    A WHOLESOME TONGUE IS A TREE OF LIFE— _A wholesome tongue,_ or _a tongue which heals,_ or _the health of the tongue, is a tree of life, but when it is perverse it breaks the spirit;_ or, _the perversi...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    TEXT Proverbs 15:1-11 1. A soft answer turneth away wrath; But a grevious word stirreth up anger. 2. The tongue of the wise uttereth knowledge aright; But the mouth of fools poureth out folly....

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    15:4 Gentleness (g-1) Or 'Benignity;' as 'sound,' ch. 14.30. breaking (h-14) Or 'disturbance.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    Read, 'a soothing tongue.. a wound in the spirit.' 7. _Doeth_ NOT SO] RM 'is not steadfast.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    1. GRIEVOUS] i.e. annoying. 'If one pour in hot water let the other pour in cold.'...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    LESSONS ABOUT WISDOM PROVERBS _KEITH SIMONS_ CHAPTER 15 V1 A quiet answer reduces anger. But an impatient word increases anger....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Our words can comfort other people. Words can help people, and they can encourage people. Lies never achieve these good things. Lies hurt other people. Lies upset people and cause great problems....

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    A WHOLESOME TONGUE. — One which heals and soothes by its gentleness and judicious words. (Comp. Proverbs 12:18.) A TREE OF LIFE. — Comp. Proverbs 3:18; Proverbs 11:30. PERVERSENESS. — Distortion of

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    מַרְפֵּ֣א לָ֭שֹׁון עֵ֣ץ חַיִּ֑ים וְ סֶ֥לֶף ב֝

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 16 A PASSIONATE DISPOSITION "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but a grievous word stirreth up anger." In the LXX there is another clause inserted at the beginning.- Proverbs 15:1 "A meek t...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    KIND WORDS AND GLAD HEARTS Proverbs 15:1-17 _A soft answer; the tongue of the wise; a wholesome tongue; the lips of the wise; the prayer of the upright_ -these keywords touch one of the greatest depa...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Verse Proverbs 15:11. This is a simple method of drawing attention to God's perfect knowledge of all the deepest and hidden things. If that which is most full of mystery to us is perfectly known to Hi...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Life. This comparison was become proverbial for something very excellent. Immoderate. Hebrew, "perverse." (Calmet) --- Evil discourse kills the souls both of those who speak, and of those who pay att...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. The eyes of the LORD are in every pla...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 10 THROUGH 31. In chapter 10 begin the details which teach those who give ear how to avoid the snares into which the simple might fall, the path to be followe...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    A WHOLESOME TONGUE [IS] A TREE OF LIFE,.... A tongue that delivers out salutary instructions, wholesome advice and counsel; a "healing tongue" w, as it may be rendered, which pacifies contending parti...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    _A wholesome tongue [is] a tree of life: but perverseness therein [is] a breach in the spirit._ Ver. 4. _A wholesome tongue is a tree of life._] As uttering words that have a healing property in them...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright_ Expressing what he knows prudently and gracefully; taking due care both what, and when, and to whom, and in what manner he speaks; _but the mouth of foo...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    V. 4. A WHOLESOME TONGUE, literally, "gentleness of tongue," IS A TREE OF LIFE, that is, a person who, in true humility, uses gentle, pacifying, soothing speech will do his share toward a better appre...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    A WHOLESOME TONGUE: _ Heb._ The healing of the tongue...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    A WHOLESOME TONGUE, which uttereth sound, and comfortable, and useful counsels, is a tree of life; is greatly useful to preserve the present life, and to promote the spiritual and eternal life, both o...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Proverbs 15:4 wholesome H4832 tongue H3956 tree H6086 life H2416 perverseness H5558 breaks H7667 spirit H7307 A wholesome - Heb. The he

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    WISE WORDS, REPROOF AND FIRM DISCIPLINE UPHOLD THE RIGHTEOUS, GIVING THEM SUITABLE REWARD, WHILST THE UNRIGHTEOUS REJECT REPROOF, AND SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES (PROVERBS 15:4). In this subsection there...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Proverbs contrasting good and evil. CHARACTERS: God. CONCLUSION: The course of the wicked man is an abomination to God, neither is there any offering he can make to God that can be accepte...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Proverbs 15:1. _A soft answer turneth away wrath._ It bows to the tempest, it names a mitigating circumstance, it gives a favourable turn to misconstruction, it proposes a better way. My father, said...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PROVERBS—NOTE ON PROVERBS 15:1 This is a series of proverbs dealing primarily with speech, submission to instruction, and God’s providence. ⇐...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— PROVERBS 15:3. BEHOLDING, rather “watching,” “observing” (so Stuart, Miller, and Delitzsch). PROVERBS 15:4. WHOLE-SOME, “gentle,” “soft,” PERVERSENESS or “transgression,” A BREACH,...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION PROVERBS 15:1 A SOFT ANSWER TURNETH AWAY WRATH. Two things are here to be observed: an answer should be given—the injured person should not wrap himself in sullen silence; and that answer...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Fifteen. I love this first one here. A soft answer turns away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger (Proverbs 15:1). How oftentimes a person comes just raging and a soft answer turns away wrath. If...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Timothy 6:3; Genesis 3:22; Malachi 4:2; Proverbs 12:18; Proverbs

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Wholesome — Which utters sound and useful counsels. Tree of life — Is greatly useful to preserve the present life, and to promote the spiritual and eternal life, both of the speaker and hearers. Perve...

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