The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool spouts folly. The tongue of the wiseThe phrase "the tongue of the wise" emphasizes the power and influence of speech when guided by wisdom. In Hebrew, "tongue" (לָשׁוֹן, lashon) often symbolizes the instrument of communication and expression. Wisdom (חָכְמָה, chokmah) in the biblical context is not merely intellectual knowledge but a deep, God-given understanding that aligns with His will. The wise use their speech to build up, instruct, and guide others in truth and righteousness. Historically, wisdom literature, such as Proverbs, was highly valued in ancient Israelite culture, serving as a guide for living a life pleasing to God. commends knowledge
The word "commends" (יֵיטִיב, yetiv) can be understood as making something good or beneficial. In this context, it means to present or promote knowledge in a way that is attractive and persuasive. "Knowledge" (דַּעַת, da'at) here refers to a deep, experiential understanding of God's truth and His ways. The wise person not only possesses knowledge but also knows how to communicate it effectively, making it accessible and appealing to others. This aligns with the biblical principle that true knowledge begins with the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7). but the mouth of the fool
In contrast, "the mouth of the fool" highlights the negative use of speech. The Hebrew word for "fool" (כְּסִיל, kesil) often describes someone who is morally deficient, lacking in spiritual insight, and resistant to God's wisdom. The "mouth" (פֶּה, peh) of such a person is characterized by reckless and thoughtless words. In the ancient Near Eastern context, a fool was not just someone lacking intelligence but someone who rejected God's instruction and lived in opposition to His commands. spouts folly
The term "spouts" (יַבִּיעַ, yabia) suggests an uncontrolled outpouring, akin to a spring gushing forth water. This imagery conveys the idea that the fool's speech is abundant and unchecked, often leading to chaos and harm. "Folly" (אִוֶּלֶת, ivvelet) refers to senselessness and moral perversity. In the biblical narrative, folly is the antithesis of wisdom, leading individuals away from God's path. The fool's words, therefore, are not only devoid of truth but also destructive, spreading confusion and discord. Persons / Places / Events 1. SolomonTraditionally regarded as the author of Proverbs, Solomon was the son of King David and known for his wisdom. His proverbs are a collection of wise sayings meant to instruct and guide. 2. The WiseIn the context of Proverbs, the wise are those who fear the Lord and live according to His commandments. They are characterized by their understanding and prudent speech. 3. The FoolBiblically, a fool is someone who rejects wisdom and instruction, often characterized by reckless and thoughtless behavior. 4. The TongueRepresents speech and communication. In Proverbs, the tongue is often highlighted as a powerful tool that can be used for good or evil. 5. Knowledge and FollyKnowledge in Proverbs is often associated with the fear of the Lord and understanding, while folly is linked to ignorance and moral deficiency. Teaching Points The Power of SpeechOur words have the power to build up or tear down. As believers, we are called to use our speech to commend knowledge and truth. Wisdom in CommunicationWise communication involves not just what we say, but how and when we say it. It requires discernment and a heart aligned with God's wisdom. Guarding Against FollyWe must be vigilant to avoid foolish talk, which can lead to misunderstanding and conflict. This requires self-control and a commitment to truth. The Source of WisdomTrue wisdom comes from a relationship with God. As we grow in our knowledge of Him, our speech should reflect His character and truth. Reflecting Christ in Our WordsAs followers of Christ, our words should reflect His love and truth, serving as a testimony to those around us. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the concept of the "tongue of the wise" in Proverbs 15:2 challenge you in your daily communication? 2. In what ways can you actively seek to commend knowledge in your conversations with others? 3. Reflect on a time when you witnessed the destructive power of foolish speech. What lessons can you draw from that experience? 4. How can you cultivate a heart of wisdom that naturally leads to wise speech, according to biblical principles? 5. Consider James 3:5-6 and Proverbs 15:2. How do these passages together inform your understanding of the responsibility that comes with the power of speech? Connections to Other Scriptures James 3:5-6This passage discusses the power of the tongue, comparing it to a small spark that can set a great forest on fire, emphasizing the potential for both good and harm in our speech. Proverbs 10:19This verse warns that when words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise, reinforcing the idea of prudent speech. Ecclesiastes 10:12-14These verses contrast the words of the wise and the fool, similar to Proverbs 15:2, highlighting the destructive nature of foolish talk. | A Meek and Gentle Manner of Discourse is the Most Effectual Means to Soften the Fiercest Disposition | H. Usher, D.D. | Proverbs 15:1-3 | | A Soft Answer | J. Spencer. | Proverbs 15:1-3 | | A Soft Answer | | Proverbs 15:1-3 | | A Soft Answer | Malcolm's "Persia | Proverbs 15:1-3 | | A Soft Answer (To Children) | J. M. Gibbon. | Proverbs 15:1-3 | | Bad Temper to be Controlled | R. F. Horton, D.D. | Proverbs 15:1-3 | | Mild Replies to Angry Speeches | J. Parker, D.D. | Proverbs 15:1-3 | | Soft Answers | J. M. Sherwood, D. D. | Proverbs 15:1-3 | | Submissive Answers | W. Reading, M.A. | Proverbs 15:1-3 | | The Christian Government of the Tongue | Geo. Spence, D.C.L. | Proverbs 15:1-3 | | The Utility of Gentle Forces | W. Unsworth. | Proverbs 15:1-3 | | Try the Velvet | Blind Amos. | Proverbs 15:1-3 | | Turning Away Wrath | W. Arnot, D.D. | Proverbs 15:1-3 | | Words | D. Thomas, D.D. | Proverbs 15:1-3 | | Virtues and Vices of the Tongue | E. Johnson | Proverbs 15:1, 2, 4, 7 |
People Abaddon, SolomonPlaces JerusalemTopics Acceptable, Aright, Commends, Dispenses, Dropping, Folly, Fool, Foolish, Foolishness, Fools, Gush, Gushes, Makes, Maketh, Mouth, Mouths, Pour, Poureth, Spouts, Stream, Tongue, Useth, Uttereth, WiseDictionary of Bible Themes Proverbs 15:2 5262 commendation
5547 speech, power of
8757 folly, effects of
8760 fools, characteristics Proverbs 15:1-2 5549 speech, positive Library God, the All-Seeing One
A sermon (No. 177) delivered on Sabbath morning, February 14, 1858 At The Music Hall, Royal Surrey Gardens by C. H. Spurgeon. "Hell and destruction are before the Lord: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?" -- Proverbs 15:11. You have often smiled at the ignorance of heathens who bow themselves before gods of wood and stone. You have quoted the words of Scripture and you have said, "Eyes have they, but they see not; ears have they, but they hear not." You have therefore argued that …
C.H. Spurgeon—Sermons on ProverbsThe Hedge of Thorns and the Plain Way
A sermon (No. 1948) delivered at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, by C. H. Spurgeon. "The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain."--Proverbs 15:19. You must have noticed how frequently godly people almost wear out their Bibles in certain places. The Psalms, the Gospel of John, and parts of the Epistles are favourite portions, and are thumbed in many an old believer's Bible till the fact is very noticeable. There are certain sheep-tracks …
C.H. Spurgeon—Sermons on Proverbs God, the All-Seeing One
We have in our text, first of all, a great fact declared,--"Hell and destruction are before the Lord ;" we have, secondly, a great fact inferred,--"How much more then the hearts of the children of men?" I. We will begin with THE GREAT FACT WHICH IS DECLARED--a fact which furnishes us with premises from which we deduce the practical conclusion of the second sentence--"How much more then the hearts of the children of men?" The best interpretation that you can give of those two words, "hell" and "destruction," …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 4: 1858 How the Humble and the Haughty are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 18.) Differently to be admonished are the humble and the haughty. To the former it is to be insinuated how true is that excellence which they hold in hoping for it; to the latter it is to be intimated how that temporal glory is as nothing which even when embracing it they hold not. Let the humble hear how eternal are the things that they long for, how transitory the things which they despise; let the haughty hear how transitory are the things they court, how eternal the things they …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great And He had Also this Favour Granted Him. ...
66. And he had also this favour granted him. For as he was sitting alone on the mountain, if ever he was in perplexity in his meditations, this was revealed to him by Providence in prayer. And the happy man, as it is written, was taught of God [1112] . After this, when he once had a discussion with certain men who had come to him concerning the state of the soul and of what nature its place will be after this life, the following night one from above called him, saying, Antony, rise, go out and look.' …
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius Epistle cxxii. To Rechared, King of the visigoths .
To Rechared, King of the Visigoths [82] . Gregory to Rechared, &c. I cannot express in words, most excellent son, how much I am delighted with thy work and thy life. For on hearing of the power of a new miracle in our days, to wit that the whole nation of the Goths has through thy Excellency been brought over from the error of Arian heresy to the firmness of a right faith, one is disposed to exclaim with the prophet, This is the change wrought by the right hand of the Most High (Ps. lxxvi. 11 [83] …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great Contention Over the Man Born Blind.
(Jerusalem.) ^D John IX. 1-41. [Some look upon the events in this and the next section as occurring at the Feast of Tabernacles in October, others think they occurred at the Feast of Dedication in December, deriving their point of time from John x. 22.] ^d 1 And as he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. [The man probably sought to waken compassion by repeatedly stating this fact to passers-by.] 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Rabbi, who sinned, this man, or his parents, that he should …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel "And the Life. " How Christ is the Life.
This, as the former, being spoken indefinitely, may be universally taken, as relating both to such as are yet in the state of nature, and to such as are in the state of grace, and so may be considered in reference to both, and ground three points of truth, both in reference to the one, and in reference to the other; to wit, 1. That our case is such as we stand in need of his help, as being the Life. 2. That no other way but by him, can we get that supply of life, which we stand in need of, for he …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life "Now the End of the Commandment," &C.
1 Tim. i. 5.--"Now the end of the commandment," &c. We come now, as was proposed, to observe, Thirdly,(474) That faith unfeigned is the only thing which gives the answer of a good conscience towards God. Conscience, in general, is nothing else but a practical knowledge of the rule a man should walk by, and of himself in reference to that rule. It is the laying down a man's state, and condition, and actions beside the rule of God's word, or the principles of nature's light. It is the chief piece …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning "Thou Shall Keep Him in Perfect Peace, Whose Mind is Stayed on Thee, Because He Trusteth in Thee. "
Isaiah xxvi. 3.--"Thou shall keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee." All men love to have privileges above others. Every one is upon the design and search after some well-being, since Adam lost that which was true happiness. We all agree upon the general notion of it, but presently men divide in the following of particulars. Here all men are united in seeking after some good; something to satisfy their souls, and satiate their desires. Nay, but they …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning The Authority and Utility of the Scriptures
2 Tim. iii. 16.--"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." We told you that there was nothing more necessary to know than what our end is, and what the way is that leads to that end. We see the most part of men walking at random,--running an uncertain race,--because they do not propose unto themselves a certain scope to aim at, and whither to direct their whole course. According to men's particular …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of the Eleventh
An unfinished commentary on the Bible, found among the author's papers after his death, in his own handwriting; and published in 1691, by Charles Doe, in a folio volume of the works of John Bunyan. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR Being in company with an enlightened society of Protestant dissenters of the Baptist denomination, I observed to a doctor of divinity, who was advancing towards his seventieth year, that my time had been delightfully engaged with John Bunyan's commentary on Genesis. "What," …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 I Will Pray with the Spirit and with the Understanding Also-
OR, A DISCOURSE TOUCHING PRAYER; WHEREIN IS BRIEFLY DISCOVERED, 1. WHAT PRAYER IS. 2. WHAT IT IS TO PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT. 3. WHAT IT IS TO PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT AND WITH THE UNDERSTANDING ALSO. WRITTEN IN PRISON, 1662. PUBLISHED, 1663. "For we know not what we should pray for as we ought:--the Spirit--helpeth our infirmities" (Rom 8:26). ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. There is no subject of more solemn importance to human happiness than prayer. It is the only medium of intercourse with heaven. "It is …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 How Christ is the Way in General, "I am the Way. "
We come now to speak more particularly to the words; and, first, Of his being a way. Our design being to point at the way of use-making of Christ in all our necessities, straits, and difficulties which are in our way to heaven; and particularly to point out the way how believers should make use of Christ in all their particular exigencies; and so live by faith in him, walk in him, grow up in him, advance and march forward toward glory in him. It will not be amiss to speak of this fulness of Christ …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life Proverbs
Many specimens of the so-called Wisdom Literature are preserved for us in the book of Proverbs, for its contents are by no means confined to what we call proverbs. The first nine chapters constitute a continuous discourse, almost in the manner of a sermon; and of the last two chapters, ch. xxx. is largely made up of enigmas, and xxxi. is in part a description of the good housewife. All, however, are rightly subsumed under the idea of wisdom, which to the Hebrew had always moral relations. The Hebrew …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Proverbs 15:2 NIVProverbs 15:2 NLTProverbs 15:2 ESVProverbs 15:2 NASBProverbs 15:2 KJV
Proverbs 15:2 Commentaries
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