Proverbs 15:1

A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. A SOFT ANSWER - like oil soothing the pain of a wound (; ). BUT GRIEVOUS WORDS STIR UP ANGER - lit, 'make it to ascend,' like a flame fanned by bellows; the indication of anger rises up to the countenance....

CHAPTER XV _The soft answer. Useful correction. Stability of the righteous._ _The contented mind. The slothful man. The fool. The covetous._ _The impious. The wicked opposed to the righteous; to the_ _diligent; and to the man who fears the Lord._ NOTES ON CHAP. XV Verse Proverbs 15:1. _A SOFT ANSWER_] Gentleness will often disarm the most furious, where positive derangement has not taken place; one angry word will always beget another, for the disposition of one spirit always begets its own likeness in another: thus kindness produces kindness, and rage produces rage. Universal experience confirms this proverb....

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 should be gentle and conciliatory. This is tersely put in a mediaeval rhyme— "_Frangitur ira gravis_ _Quando est respensio suavis_." "Anger, however great, Is checked by answer sweet." Septuagint, "A submissive (ὑποπίπτουσα)_ _answer averteth wrath." Thus Abigail quelled the excessive anger of David by her judicious submission (1 Samuel 25:24, etc.). BUT GRIEVOUS WORDS STIR UP ANGER. A word that causes vexation makes anger rise the higher. Ὁργῆς ματαίας εἰσὶν

A SOFT ANSWER TURNETH AWAY WRATH,.... Mild words, gentle expressions, delivered with kindness and tenderness, humility and submission; these will work upon a man's passions, weaken his resentments, and break and scatter the storm of wrath raised in his breast, just breaking forth in a very boisterous and blustering manner; so high winds are sometimes laid by soft showers. Thus the Ephraimites were pacified by Gideon's mild answer; and David by Abigail's very submissive and respectful address, Judges 8:1; BUT GRIEVOUS WORDS STIR UP ANGER; such as are rough and menacing, scornful and sneering, reproachful and reviling, proud, haughty, and overbearing; like those of Jephthah to the Ephraimites; and of the Ephraimites to the Gileadites; and of Nabal to David's servants, concerning him; and of Rehoboam, who answered the people roughly: in all which instances anger was stirred up, and

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 grievous words Proverbs 15:1. The tongue of the righteous which useth knowledge aright is better than the mouth of fools Proverbs 15:2. Better is the prayer of the upright than the sacrifice of the wicked Proverbs 15:8). Better is he that followeth after righteousness than the way of the wicked, for the one the Lord delights in, the other is an abomination Proverbs 15:9). Better is the heart that seeketh knowledge than to feed on fool

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 conception of the sphere of God's government. Earlier Heb. religion regarded Sheol as outside the kingdom of God; there the dead do not praise or remember Him. We have also some more psychological proverbs dealing with the value of cheerfulness. PROVERBS 15:2. UTTERETH ARIGHT: paraphrase rather than translation, lit. makes good. Read drops (as Deuteronomy 32:2; Job 29:22), a more natural contrast to pours out in...

TURNETH AWAY WRATH. Illustrations: Aaron (Leviticus 10:16); Reubenites (Joshua 22:15); Gideon (Judges 8:1.Judges 15:18; Judges 15:18); Hannah (1 Samuel 1:15; 1 Samuel 1:17); Abigail (1 Samuel 25:23, &c). GRIEVOUS. bitter, cutting, violent, &c. Illustrations: the Ephraimites

_grievous words_ More exactly, A GRIEVOUS WORD, R.V....

A SOFT ANSWER TURNETH AWAY WRATH— Lord Bacon applies this aphorism particularly to a man's behaviour towards a prince or other great person, when he is angry with him. Solomon advises two things in this case; the one is, that an answer be made; the other, that it be soft; the first of which contains three precepts; _first,_ that you beware of a sad and sullen silence, which either charges the fault wholly upon yourselves, or impeaches your master of injustice; as if his ears were not open to a just defence. _Secondly,_ that you beware of delaying the answer, and of craving a longer time for your defence; because that plainly betrays you to be devising some cunning and counterfeit apology. _Thirdly,_ that by all means an answer be made; an answer, I say, not a mere confession or submission; but with some sprinklings of excuse thrown in here and there [as far as truth will admit of it]; fo...

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. 3. The eyes of Jehovah are in every place, Keeping watch upon the evil and the good. 4. A gentle tongue is a tree of life; But perverseness therein is a breaking of the spirit. 5. A fool despiseth his father's correction; But he that regardeth reproof getteth prudence. 6. In the house of the righteous is much treasure; But in the revenues of the wicked is trouble. 7. The lips of the wise disperse knowledge; But the heart of the foolish doeth not so. 8. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to Jehovah; But the prayer of the upright is his delig