Proverbs 10:32
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The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked is perverse.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
21 The lips of the righteous edify many; But fools die through want of understanding.
Open source ↗Hitherto we have been in the porch or preface to the proverbs, here they begin. They are short but weighty sentences; most of them are distichs, two sentences in one verse, illustrating each other; but it is seldom that there is any coherence between the verses, much less any thread of discourse, and therefore in these chapters we need not attempt to reduce the contents to their proper heads, the several sentences will appear best in their own places. The scope of them all is to set before us good and evil, the blessing and the curse. Many of the proverbs in this chapter relate to the good government of the tongue, without which men's religion is vain.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them.
By the blessing of the upright a city is built up, but by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down.
The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked blurts out evil.
Speaking rashly is like a piercing sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perversity,
The Teacher searched to find delightful sayings and to record accurate words of truth.
The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool spouts folly.
The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him.
and wholesome speech that is above reproach, so that anyone who opposes us will be ashamed, having nothing bad to say about us.
Therefore, may my advice be pleasing to you, O king. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed. Perhaps there will be an extension of your prosperity.”