Proverbs 15:1

Pro 15:1 A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

Ver. 1. A soft answer turneth away wrath.] It is easier to stir strife than to stint it. Hard to hard, will never do; but lay a flint upon a pillow, and you may break it with ease.

“Frangitur ira gravis quando est responsio suavis.”

What is more boisterous than the winds? tamen iidem imbribus sopiuntur, saith Pliny, yet are they laid with soft showers. How soon was David disarmed by Abigail’s gentle apology, and made as meek as a lamb! So were the hot and hasty Ephraimites by Gideon’s mild and modest answer. {Jdg 8:1-3} "By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone." {Pro 25:15} Howbeit, some persons must be more roughly dealt with, or they will never have done - nettles hardly handled sting not as they will if gently touched - in some eases especially, as when God’s glory is engaged. When Servetus condemned Zuinglius for his harshness, he answers, In aliis mansuetus ero, in blasphemiis in Christum non ita: {a} In other cases I will be mild; but in case of blasphemies against Christ, I have no patience. So Luther, in a letter to Staupicius, Inveniar sane superbus, &c., modo impii silentii non arguar dum dominus patitur: Let me be counted proud or passionate, so I be not found guilty of sinful silence when the cause of God suffereth. Madness, in this case, is better than mildness: moderation here is mere mopishness, nay, it is much worse.

But grievous words stir up anger.] Heb., Make it to ascend - viz., into the nostrils, as fire in a chimney, when blown up with bellows. Some men have quick and hot spirits; yea, some good men, as those two brethren, "sons of thunder," how soon was their choler up. {Luk 9:55} Now, hard and harsh words do cast oil upon the flame, and set their passions afloat; and then there is no ho with them. Fertur equis auriga, nec audit currus habenas. How was Saul enkindled by Doeg, and David by Nabal’s currishness! Rehoboam, with one churlish breath, lost ten tribes; and Adrian the emperor, gave the crier great thanks, who, when he was bidden to quiet the tumultuous people with an imperious Sιωπησατε, Hold your tongues, he held out his hand only; and when the people listened with great silence (as the manner was), to hear the cry, Hoc vero, inquit, princeps vult; - This is that, said he, that the emperor requires of you - viz., to be silent. {b} The best answer to words of scorn and petulance (saith one), is Isaac’s apology to his brother Ishmael, patience and silence, η σιγαν χρη, η κρεισσονα σιγης λεγειν: η ηχιστα η ηδιστα. Either reply not at all, or else so that all may be well between you.

{a} Ep. ad Servet.

{b} Dio in vit. Adr.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Pro 15:1. A soft answer, &c. — A mild, submissive, and yielding answer to him who severely chides, or reproves, turns away wrath — And prevents the further progress of it. The word מענה, here rendered answer, however, signifies as well what is first said, as the reply to it, and may not improperly be translated speech, or discourse. But grievous words stir up strife — But sharp, contemptuous, and insolent replies, or speeches, incense it the more, and raise a passion where there was none before, and perhaps cause it to flame forth into fury. Melancthon, in his short lectures upon this book, commends this lesson very much to his scholars, considering it as a general precept for the preservation of peace, and avoiding unnecessary contentions, which commonly arise from pride, ambition, emulation, and wrath, which excite men either to give ill words, or to return worse to those that are given them; endeavouring to overcome by sharpness and bitterness, not by lenity and moderation. Solomon, he says, meant by this caution, that we should not think it enough not to begin strife and contention; but that, if others begin it, we should not continue it by rough answers, but endeavour to make an end of it presently, by softening the matter, and should yield much for the sake of tranquillity; and he thinks it is a precept of the same nature with that of Pythagoras; Stir not up fire with a sword: see Bishop Patrick.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

CRITICAL NOTES.—

Pro_15:1. Grievous, “bitter,” “trying,” stir up; lit., “make to ascend,” like a flame fanned by bellows (Fausset).

Pro_15:2. Useth knowledge aright, rather “makes knowledge attractive,” i.e., speaks so as to win the attention of the listeners; poureth out, or “bubbleth up.”

MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro_15:1-2

THE USE OF KNOWLEDGE

I. Knowledge is for use. The various gifts and acquirements of men in every grade of social life, of whatever kind they are, are intended by God to be used for the benefit of all. One man has what another lacks, that he may use what he possesses for their mutual good. Those who have wealth are bound to use it—they are not expected to keep it locked up in their coffers, but to lay it out for their own and their poorer neighbours’ good. So with knowledge. He who has a knowledge which can profit the body, the mind, or the heart of another sins if he holds it back. He will find that such a possession unused will be a witness against him in the day of reckoning. He will be accused of wasting his Master’s goods by not using them (Mat_25:27).

II. Wisdom is needed to put knowledge to a right use. There are many people who know a great deal, but they do not know how to use it, either for themselves or others. They cannot make it of any practical use—they cannot enlighten and help others with it. Or they may put it to a wrong use. This is often the case with those who possess intellectual knowledge, but who lack moral wisdom. They put a good thing to a bad use.

III. One mark of knowledge combined with wisdom, is the right use of the tongue in the presence of anger.—A “soft answer” in the presence of anger indicates a knowledge of human nature, and also wisdom and self-possession to apply the knowledge. A man who can hold the helm of the vessel in the presence of a storm, and keep her well in hand, shows that he not only possesses knowledge but wisdom, and he to a great extent disarms the fury of the tempest by his calm discretion.

IV. A soft answer may turn away merited wrath. There are occasions when the most holy beings—the Most Holy One Himself—display a wrath which is only a proof of their perfect holiness. The “soft answer,” the pleading words of an intercessor, may turn a way this wrath. The wrath of Jehovah was often kindled against Israel during their wilderness journey, but the “answer” of Moses “turned it away.” (See Exo_32:11-14; Num_14:11-20, etc.)

OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS

Pro_15:1—

Calmness is great advantage: he that lets

Another chafe may warm him at his fire,

Mark all his wanderings and enjoy his frets,

As cunning fencers suffer heat to tire.—

Herbert.

“A trying word;” literally a word of labour or pain. In dealing with sinners we ought to make the Gospel plain at first and not start unnecessary difficulties. Paul did this (1Co_3:2). Words that are not wrathful are often “trying,” as presenting to an angry inferior our reply in an easily misunderstood shape. We are to feed men with milk, and not with strong meat, all the more for being in a condition of fault.—Miller.

Look at the effect of the quiet and dignified reply of Gideon to the exasperated men of Ephraim, and at the case of Abigail and David. And as an exemplification of the opposite style of answer, you may be reminded of the contention between the men of Israel and Judah at the time of David’s restoration after the death of Absalom, when the fierce words of the latter drove off the former under the rebellious standard of Shebna, and of the case of Rehoboam, who by refusing to give “a soft answer” to the people deprived the house of David of the subjection of the ten tribes.—Wardlaw.

Nothing doth better stop the fury of a bullet than a mud wall: nothing doth sooner turn away the fury of wrath than a soft answer. But where the pot is boiling, grievous words make it to boil over. Wherefore Chrysostom tells thee that thine enemy reconciled is more in thine own power than in his.—Jermin.

If gentle words prevail so mightily with most men to appease their anger, of what force shall the submissive supplications of penitent persons be with the Lord?—Dod.

We greatly need an instrument capable of turning away wrath, for there is much wrath in the world to turn away.… That patent shield is a soft answer. Christianity makes it of the solid metal, and education supplies at a cheaper rate a plated article, useful as long as it lasts, and as far as it goes.… The Roman battering-ram, when it had nearly effected a breach in walls of solid stone, was often baffled by bags of chaff and beds of down skilfully spread out to receive its stubborn blow. By that stratagem the besieged obtained a double benefit, and the besiegers suffered a double disappointment. The strokes that were given proved harmless, and the engine was soon withdrawn. In our department a similar law exists, and a similar experience will come out of it.… After praying to “Our Father” for your offending brother and yourself, you may speak to him with safety.… Pass your resentment through a period of communion with Him who bought you with His blood, and it will come out like Christ’s, a simple grief for a brother’s sin, and a holy jealousy for truth.—Arnot.

Pro_15:2. Eloquence, widely ordered, is very commendable, and availeth much. “The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright”—deals kindly with her, offers her no abuse by venting her unseasonably, and making her over cheap and little set by. But eloquence abused may well be termed the attorney general, that makes a good cause seem bad, and a bad far better than in truth it is.—Spencer’s “Things New and Old.”

Paul, instead of exasperating his heathen congregation by an open protest, supplied their acknowledged defect, by bringing before them the true God “whom they were ignorantly worshipping” (Act_17:23). He pointed an arrow to Agrippa’s conscience, by the kindly admission of his candour and intelligence (Act_26:27; Act_26:29). This right use of knowledge distinguishes “the workman approved of God, and that needeth not to be ashamed” (2Ti_2:15).—Bridges.

The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.

We take these verses together as forming a group which begins with a proverb regarding the good and evil which flows from the tongue, and closes with a proverb regarding the treasure in which blessing is found, and that in which no blessing is found.

Pro 15:1

1 A soft answer turneth away wrath,

And a bitter word stirreth up anger.

In the second line, the common word for anger (אף, from the breathing with the nostrils, Pro 14:17) is purposely placed, but in the first, that which denotes anger in the highest degree (חמה from יחם, cogn. חמם, Arab. hamiya, to glow, like שׁנה from ישׁן): a mild, gentle word turns away the heat of anger (excandescentiam), puts it back, cf. Pro 25:15. The Dagesh in רּך follows the rule of the דחיק, i.e., of the close connection of a word terminating with the accented eh, aah, ah with the following word (Michlol 63b). The same is the meaning of the Latin proverb:

Frangitur ira gravis

Quando est responsio suavis.

The דבר־עצב produces the contrary effect. This expression does not mean an angry word (Ewald), for עצב is not to be compared with the Arab. ghaḍab, anger (Umbreit), but with Arab. 'aḍb, cutting, wounding, paining (Hitzig), so that דבר מעציב is meant in the sense of Psa 78:40 : a word which causes pain (lxx λυπηρός, Theod. πονικός), not after the meaning, a word provoking to anger (Gesenius), but certainly after its effect, for a wounding word "makes anger arise." As one says of anger שׁב, "it turns itself" (e.g., Isa 9:11), so, on the other hand, עלה, "it rises up," Ecc 10:4. The lxx has a third line, ὀργὴ ἀπόλλυσι καὶ φρονίμους, which the Syr. forms into a distich by the repetition of Pro 14:32, the untenableness of which is at once seen.

Pro 15:2

The πραΰ́της σοφίας (Jam 3:13) commended in Pro 15:1 is here continued:

The tongue of the wise showeth great knowledge,

And the mouth of fools poureth forth folly.

As היטיב נגּן, Isa 23:16, means to strike the harp well, and היטיב לכת, Isa 30:29, to go along merrily, so היטיב דּעת, to know in a masterly manner, and here, where the subject is the tongue, which has only an instrumental reference to knowledge: to bring to light great knowledge (cf. 7a). In 2b the lxx translate στόμα δὲ ἀφρόνων ἀναγγέλλει κακά. From this Hitzig concludes that they read רעות as 28b, and prefers this phrase; but they also translated in Pro 13:16; Pro 14:28; Pro 26:11, אוּלת by κακίαν, for they interpreted the unintelligible word by combination with עולת, and in Pro 12:23 by ἀραῖς, for they thought they had before them אלות (from אלה).

Pro 15:3

3 The eyes of Jahve are in every place,

Observing the evil and the good.

The connection of the dual עינים with the plur. of the adjective, which does not admit of a dual, is like Pro 6:17, cf. 18. But the first line is a sentence by itself, to which the second line gives a closer determination, as showing how the eyes of God are everywhere (cf. Ch2 16:9, after Zac 4:10) abroad over the whole earth, viz., beholding with penetrating look the evil and the good (צפה, to hold to, to observe, cf. ἐπιβλέποντες, Sir. 23:19), i.e., examining men whether they are good or evil, and keeping them closely before His eyes, so that nothing escapes him. This universal inspection, this omniscience of God, has an alarming but also a comforting side. The proverb seeks first to warn, therefore it speaks first of the evil.

Pro 15:4

4 Gentleness of the tongue is a tree of life;

But falseness in it is a wounding to the spirit.

Regarding מרפּא, vid., at Pro 12:18, and regarding סלף, at Pro 11:3; this latter word we derive with Fleischer from סלף, to subvert, overthrow, but not in the sense of "violence, asperitas, in as far as violent speech is like a stormy sea," but of perversity, perversitas (Venet. λοξότης), as the contrast to truthfulness, rectitude, kindness. Gentleness characterizes the tongue when all that it says to a neighbour, whether it be instruction or correction, or warning or consolation, it says in a manner without rudeness, violence, or obtrusiveness, by which it finds the easiest and surest acceptance, because he feels the goodwill, the hearty sympathy, the humility of him who is conscious of his own imperfection. Such gentleness is a tree of life, whose fruits preserve life, heal the sick, and raise up the bowed down. Accordingly, שׁבר בּרוּח is to be understood of the effect which goes forth from perversity or falseness of the tongue upon others. Fleischer translates: asperitas autem in ea animum vulnerat, and remarks, "שׁבר ברוח, abstr. pro concreto. The verb שׁבר, and the n. verbale שׁבר derived from it, may, in order to render the meaning tropical, govern the prep. בּ, as the Arab. kaser baḳlby, he has broken my heart (opp. Arab. jabar baḳlaby), cf. בּפניו, Pro 21:29, vid., De Glossis Habichtianis, p. 18; yet it also occurs with the accus., Psa 69:21, and the corresponding gen. שׁבר רוּח, Isa 65:14." In any case, the breaking (deep wounding) is not meant in regard to his own spirit, but to that of the neighbour. Rightly Luther: but a lying (tongue) makes heart-sorrow (elsewhere, a false one troubles the cheerful); Euchel: a false tongue is soul-wounding; and the translation of the year 1844: falsehood is a breach into the heart. Only for curiosity's sake are two other interpretations of 4a and 4b mentioned: the means of safety to the tongue is the tree of life, i.e., The Tor (Erachin 15b); and: perversity suffers destruction by a breath of wind, after the proverb, כל שׁישׁ בו גסות רוח רוח קימעא שׁוברתו, a breath of wind breaks a man who is puffed up

(Note: Vid., Duke's Rabbinische Blumenlese, p. 176, where the rendering is somewhat different.)

(which Meri presents for choice, vid., also Rashi, who understands רוח of the storm of judgment). The lxx translates, in 4b, a different text: ὁ δὲ συντηρῶν αὐτὴν πλησθήσεται πνεύματος; but the ישׂבּע רוּח here supposed cannot mean "to be full of spirit," but rather "to eat full of wind." Otherwise the Syr. and Targ.: and he who eateth of his own fruit is satisfied (Heb. ואכל מפּריו ישׂבּע) - an attempt to give to the phrase ישׂבע a thought correct in point of language, but one against which we do not give up the Masoretic text.

Pro 15:5

5 A fool despiseth his father's correction;

But he that regardeth reproof is prudent.

We may with equal correctness translate: he acts prudently (after Sa1 23:22); and, he is prudent (after Pro 19:25). We prefer, with Jerome, Venet., and Luther, the latter, against the lxx, Syr., and Targ., because, without a doubt, the יערם is so thought of at Pro 19:25 : the contrast is more favourable to the former. It is true that he who regardeth reproof is not only prudent, but also that he is prudent by means of observing it. With line first cf. Pro 1:7 and Pro 1:30, and with line second, Pro 12:1. Luther translates: the fool calumniates...; but of the meanings of abuse (properly pungere) and scorn, the second is perhaps here to be preferred.

Pro 15:6

6 The house of the righteous is a great treasure-chamber;

But through the gain of the wicked comes trouble.

The contrast shows that חסן does not here mean force or might (lxx, Syr., Targ., Jerome, and Venet.), which generally this derivative of the verb חסן never means, but store, fulness of possession, prosperity (Luther: in the house of the righteous are goods enough), in this sense (cf. Pro 27:24) placing itself, not with the Arab. ḥasuna, to be firm, fastened (Aram. ḥsn, חסן), but with Arab. khazan, to deposit, to lay up in granaries, whence our "Magazin." חסן may indeed, like חיל, have the meaning of riches, and חסן does actually mean, in the Jewish-Aram., to possess, and the Aphel אחסן, to take into possession (κρατεῖν); but the constant use of the noun חסן in the sense of store, with the kindred idea of laying up, e.g., Jer 20:5, and of the Niph. נחסן, which means, Isa 23:18, with נאצר, "to be magazined," gives countenance to the idea that חסן goes back to the primary conception, recondere, and is to be distinguished from חסון, חסין, and other derivatives after the fundamental conception. We may not interpret בּית, with Fleischer, Bertheau, and Zckler, as accus.: in the house (cf. בּית, Pro 8:2), nor prepositionally as chez = casa; but: "the house of the righteous is a great store," equivalent to, the place of such. On the contrary, destruction comes by the gain of the wicked. It is impossible that נעכּרת can have the house as the subject (Lwenstein), for בּית is everywhere mas. Therefore Abulwald, followed by Kimchi and the Venet. (ὄλεθρος), interprets נעכרת as subst., after the form of the Mishnic נברכת, a pool, cf. נחרצה, peremptorily decided, decreed; and if we do not extinguish the ב of וּבתבוּאת (the lxx according to the second translation of this doubly-translated distich, Syr., and Targ.), there remains then nothing further than to regard נעכרת either as subst. neut. overturned = overthrow (cf. such part. nouns as מוּסדה, מוּעקה, but particularly נסבּה, Ch2 10:15), or as impers. neut. pass.: it is overthrown = there is an overthrow, like נשׂערה, Psa 50:3 : it is stormed = a storm rages. The gain of the wicked has overthrow as its consequence, for the greed of gain, which does not shrink from unrighteous, deceitful gain, destroys his house, עכר בּיתו, Pro 15:27 (vid., regarding עצר, Pro 11:29). Far from enriching the house, such gain is the cause of nothing but ruin. The lxx, in its first version of this distich, reads, in 6a, בּרבות צדק (ἐν πλεοναζούσῃ δικαιοσύνῃ), and in 6b, וּבתבוּאת רשׁע נעכּר (and together with the fruit the godless is rooted out, ὁλόῤῥιζοι ἐκ γῆς ἀπολοῦνται); for, as Lagarde has observed, it confounds עכר with עקר (to root, privativ: to root up).

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ε) With reference to various other relations and callings in life, especially within the sphere of the religious life

Chap. 15

1          A soft answer turneth away wrath,

but a bitter word stirreth up anger.

2     The tongue of the wise maketh knowledge attractive,

but the mouth of fools poureth forth folly.

3     The eyes of Jehovah are in every place,

beholding the wicked and the good.

4     A mild tongue is a tree of life,

but transgression therewith is a wound in the spirit.

5     The fool despiseth his father’s correction,

but he that regardeth reproof is wise.

6     In the house of the righteous is a great treasure,

but in the gain of the wicked is trouble.

7     The lips of the wise spread knowledge,

but the heart of fools (doeth) not so.

8     The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to Jehovah,

but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

9     An abomination to Jehovah is the way of the wicked,

but he loveth him that searcheth after righteousness.

10     There is sharp correction for him that forsaketh the way;

he that hateth reproof must die.

11     Hell and the world of the dead are before Jehovah,

how much more the hearts of the sons of men ?

12     The scorner liketh not that one reprove him;

to wise men will he not go.

13     A joyous heart maketh a cheerful countenance,

but in sorrow of the heart the spirit is stricken.

14     An understanding heart seeketh after knowledge,

but the face of fools feedeth on folly.

15     All the days of the afflicted are evil,

but he that is of a joyful heart—a perpetual feast.

16     Better is little with the fear of Jehovah

than great treasure and trouble with it.

17     Better is a dish of herbs, when love is there,

than a fatted ox and hatred with it.

18     A passionate man stirreth up strife,

but he that is slow to anger allayeth contention.

19     The way of the slothful is as a hedge of thorns,

but the path of the righteous is a highway.

20     A wise son maketh a glad father,

but a foolish man despiseth his mother.

21     Folly is joy to him that lacketh wisdom.

but the man of understanding goeth straight forward.

22     Failure of plans (cometh) where there is no counsel,

but by a multitude of counsellors they come to pass.

23     A man hath joy through the answer of his mouth,

and a word in due season, how good is it!

24     An upward path of life is the way of the wise

to depart from hell beneath.

25     The house of the proud will Jehovah destroy,

and he will establish the border of the widow.

26     An abomination to Jehovah are evil devices,

but pure (in his sight) are gracious words.

27     He troubleth his own house that seeketh unjust gain,

but he that hateth gifts shall live.

28     The heart of the righteous studieth to answer,

the mouth of the wicked poureth forth evil.

29     Jehovah is far from the wicked,

but the prayer of the righteous he heareth.

30     A friendly look rejoiceth the heart,

good tidings make the bones fat.

31     The ear that heareth the reproof of life

will abide among the wise.

32     He that refuseth correction despiseth himself,

but he that heedeth reproof getteth understanding.

33     The fear of Jehovah is a training to wisdom,

and before honor is humility.

GRAMMATICAL AND CRITICAL

Pro_15:1.—[דְּבַר־עֶצֶב undoubtedly means wrathful words, bitter words; Ges. reaches this through a subjective meaning of עצב, labor, pain to the wrathful spirit; Fuerst takes the objective, cutting words, that cause pain to their victim; the latter retains most of the radical meaning of the verb.—A.]

Pro_15:2.—[תֵּיטִיב, lit., maketh knowledge good; but the radical idea of the Heb. טוֹב is that which is good to the sense, especially sight; therefore bright, brilliant,—and afterward, that which is agreeable to other senses, hearing, taste, etc. The etymological meaning here best suits the sense “make knowledge appear attractive.”—A.]

Pro_15:5.—[Bött. § 1055, III.), commenting on the three passages where the defective form יַעְרֵם occurs, proposes as the probable reading יַעְרֵם.—A.]

Pro_15:6.—נֶעְכָּרֶת (from עָכַר, Pro_11:29) is a neuter partic. used substantively in the sense of ruin, destruction; comp. in Isa_10:23 נֶחֱרָצָה, and also מְחוּמָה in Pro_15:16 below.

[Pro_15:7.—Masc. verb with the fern. שִׂפְתֵי, as in Pro_15:2; Pro_10:21-22.]

Pro_15:9—[Bött. (§ 412, 3) suggests rhythmical reasons for the peculiar and solitary form יֶאְהָב, usually יֶאֱהַב. Comp. Green, § 112, 5, c.—A.]

Pro_15:15.—The construction is elliptical; טוֹב־לֵב is logically a genitive limiting the יְמֵי of clause a, and מִשְׁתֶּה is a predicate to it: “the days of him who is cheerful in heart are a feast,” etc. Comp. Hitzig on the passage.

Pro_15:21.—The Infin. לֶכֶת without לְ made dependent on the verb יְיַשֶּׁר (Ewald, Lehrb., § 285, a.)

Pro_15:22.—The Infin. abs. הָפֵר is hero naturally prefixed, instead of the finite verb, as e.g., in Pro_12:7. [Active used instead of passive, with an indefinite subject, in Hiphil and Piel as well as Kal. infinitives. See Böttcher, § 990, 1, a.—A.]

Pro_15:25.—Instead of וְיַצֵּב we must with Hitzig, etc., and in accordance with the anc. versions read וַיַּצֵּב; for the optative rendering “and let him establish,” etc. (Bertheau) does not agree with the parallelism. [Bött. regards it as a Jussive, expressing that necessity which is seen to be involved in the moral order of the world (§ 964, 7).—A.]

EXEGETICAL

1. Pro_15:1-7. Against sins of the tongue of various kinds.—A soft answer turneth away wrath,—lit., “bringeth or turneth back passion,” comp. Isa_9:11; Isa_9:16; Isa_9:20. The opposite of this “turning back” or “beating down” the violence of wrath is the “stirring it up,” causing wrath to flash up or blaze out. Comp. Ecc_10:4; Psa_18:8-9.—With the use of the epithet “soft, gentle” (רַךְ), comp. Pro_25:15.—“A bitter word” (see critical notes) is more exactly “a word of pain,” i.e., a smarting, offensive, violent word such as the passionate or embittered man speaks.

Pro_15:2. The tongue of the wise maketh knowledge attractive, lit., “maketh knowledge good” (see critical notes); i.e., presents knowledge in apt, well arranged and winning ways (comp. Pro_30:29; Isa_23:16). In contrast with this “the fool’s mouth poureth forth folly,” i.e., in its repulsively confused and noisy utterances, brings to view not wisdom and true discernment, but only folly. “Poureth forth,” a decidedly stronger expression than “proclaimeth,” Pro_12:23.

Pro_15:3. Comp. 2Ch_16:9; Sir_15:19; Sir_17:16; Sir 23:28; also Psa_139:1 sq.; Mat_10:30; Heb_4:13.

Pro_15:4. Gentleness of the tongue is a tree of life.—With this use of the noun rendered “gentleness” (not “health”) comp. Pro_14:30, and for the expression “tree of life,” Pro_11:30.—But transgression therewith is a wound in the spirit.—The noun סֶלֶף probably does not here mean “perverseness” (Bertheau, E. V., etc.), but apparently “trespass, transgression,” which seems to be its meaning also in Pro_11:3 (comp. Hitzig). Transgression with the tongue is, however, probably not here falsehood (Luther, and the older commentators; comp. Ewald, “falling with the tongue”), but its misuse in the exciting of strife and contention, and so “irritation, excitement” (Umbreit, Elster). “A wound in the spirit,” i.e., disturbance and destruction by restless passion of the regulated and normal state of the spirit; comp. Isa_65:14.—Hitzig conjectures a corruption of the text, and therefore translates the second clause in partial accordance with the LXX, Syriac and Chaldee versions, “and whoso eateth its fruit (the tree of life), stretcheth himself comfortably (! ?).” [Rueetschi (as before cited, p. 143) carries the idea of gentleness through the two clauses as the central idea; “it is precisely with this gentle speech which otherwise does so much good, that the wicked is wont to deceive, and then one is by this more sorely and deeply stricken and distressed than before.”—A.]

Pro_15:5. Comp. Pro_1:7; Pro_13:1.—But he that regardeth reproof is wise (reproof on the part of his father, or in general from his parents). For this verb, “is wise, prudent, dealeth prudently,” comp. Pro_19:25; 1Sa_23:22.

Pro_15:6. In the house of the righteous is a great treasure,—lit., “house of the righteous,” probably an accusative of place. The treasure stored up in such a house is the righteousness that prevails in it, a source and pledge of abiding prosperity. [Holden and some others make the earthly treasure too prominent, as though the direct teaching of the verse were that “temporal prosperity attends the righteous.” We find in the verse rather an import that holds equally good in the absence of outward abundance.—A.] The direct opposite of this is the “trouble” that is found in the gains of the wicked.

Pro_15:7. With clause a compare Pro_10:31. [A rendering of יְזָרוּ is urged by Rueetschi, that is more in keeping with its general import, and particularly its meaning in Pro_20:8; Pro_20:26, viz: to “sift,” or “winnow;” the lips of the wise sift knowledge, separating the chaff, preserving the pure grain.—A.]—But the heart of fools (doeth) not so, i.e., with him it is quite otherwise than with the heart of the wise man which spreads abroad wisdom and knowledge; a suggestion, brief indeed but very expressive, of the mighty difference between the influences that go forth from the wise man and the fool. Hitzig, to avoid this interpretation of לֹא־כֵן, which, as he thinks, is “intolerably flat,” explains the expression in accordance with Isa_16:6, by “that which is not so as it is asserted to be,” and therefore by “error or falsehood;” he therefore takes this as an accusative object to the verb “spread abroad,” which is to be supplied from clause a. The LXX and Syr. adopt still another way, according to which כֵּן is an adjective with the meaning “sure, right,”—“the fool’s heart is not sure,” not certain of its matters, and therefore incompetent to teach others (so also Bertheau). This last explanation is doubtless possible, and yet the first seems at all events the simplest and most obvious. [This is also the rendering of the E. V., etc.; S., N., M., W. agree substantially with the last view, but differ in the grammatical connection of the word “sound, right,” S. and M. making it a predicative epithet, N. and W. making it the object, “what is not sound,” “folly.”—A.]

2. Pro_15:8-15. Of God’s abhorrence of the wicked heart of the ungodly.—With Pro_15:8 comp. Pro_21:27; Pro_28:9; also Pro_15:29 below. “Sacrifice” and “prayer” are not here contrasted as the higher and the lower [so Burgon, quoted by Wordsworth]; but “sacrifice” is a gift to God, “prayer” is desiring from Him. Comp. Isa_1:11; Isa_1:15, and besides passages like Hos_6:6; Mic_6:6-8; Jer_7:21; Psa_40:6 (7); Psa 51:17 (18), etc.

Pro_15:9 stands in the relation, as it were, of an explanation of or a reason for Pro_15:8; comp. Pro_11:20; Pro_12:22.—But he loveth him that searcheth after righteousness.—“Searcheth after” [“pursueth,” as it were, Piel part.], stronger than “followeth,” Pro_21:21; comp. Pro_11:19; also Deu_16:20; Psa_34:14 (15).

Pro_15:10. (There is) sharp correction for him that forsaketh the way, lit., “is to the one forsaking the path,” i.e., the man that turns aside from the right way (comp. Pro_2:13).—He that hateth reproof must die,—lit., “will die.” Comp. Rom_8:13. This “death” is the very “sharp correction” mentioned in the first clause, just as he who hates correction is identical with the man who forsakes the way. Comp. Pro_10:17.

Pro_15:11., Hell (Sheol) and the world of the dead are before Jehovah,—i.e., are not concealed from Him, lie open and uncovered before His view, comp. Psa_139:8; Job_26:6. In the latter passage אֲבַדּוֹן, lit. “place of destruction, abyss of the pit” stands, as it does here, as a synonym of Sheol; so likewise in Pro_27:20.—How much more (אַף כִּי as in Pro 11:37) the hearts of the sons of men; comp. Jer_17:10; Heb_4:13.—Observe furthermore how this proverb also stands related to the next preceding, giving its reason, as in Pro_15:8-9.

Pro_15:12. To wise men doth he not go; among them he will find deliverance from his folly—by stern reproof, it is true, and censure and reprimand; comp. Pro_13:1; Pro_13:20. Hitzig unnecessarily proposes to read, with the LXX, “with” “instead of “to,” “with wise men he doth not associate.”

Pro_15:13. A joyous heart maketh the countenance cheerful.—The verb “maketh good” (Pro_15:2), “maketh pleasant” is here equivalent to “brighteneth.”—But in sorrow of the heart is the spirit stricken.—Others, Umbreit, Hitzig, etc., render “is the breath oppressed, made laborious.” It is true that in this way there is produced a better parallelism with the “cheerful countenance” in clause a. But in Pro_17:22 also (comp, Isa_66:2) a “broken spirit” is described by this phrase, and not a labored breathing; and instances in which, instead of the outward effect, the inward cause which underlies it is named in the second clause, are by no means unknown elsewhere; comp. Pro_10:20; Pro_12:22, etc.

Pro_15:14. With clause a compare Pro_14:33.—The face of fools feedeth on folly.—The K’ri and the ancient versions read פִּי (mouth) instead of פְּנֵי (face) for which reason many moderns adopt the same reading, e.g., Berthold [De W., Bertheau, E. V., S., N., M., H., who plead not only the authority of the Versions, but the singular number in the verb, and the greater naturalness of the expression]. But as in Psa_27:8, a “seeking” is predicated of the face [according to the rendering of Hitzig, in which he stands almost alone, “seek him, my face,”—while the vast majority of interpreters make God’s face the object sought], so here there might very fitly be ascribed to the face a “feeding on something,” a pasci, especially as this verb is here employed only in a figurative way, to denote dealing with a matter (comp. Pro_13:20). [Fuerst (Lex., sub verbo) takes the verb in quite a different sense; he makes a second radical meaning to be “to unite with,” and then “to delight in.” He also recognizes distinctly the use of this plural noun with verbs in the singular. See also Nordheimer, Heb. Gram. § 759, 3, a.—A.].

Pro_15:15. All the days of the afflicted are evil.—עָנִי is here not the outwardly distressed, the poor, but the inwardly burdened and afflicted, as the parallel in clause b shows.—But he that is of a joyful heart (hath) a perpetual feast,—or, a perpetual feast are his days. The meaning of the verse is a tolerably exact parallel to Pro_15:13. [To this view of the ver. Rueetschi (as above, p. 144) objects that the very general usus loquendi refers עָנִי to outward circumstances, and when inward conditions are described by this term it is never in the way of depreciation, other terms being used to describe distress. He renders “all the days of a poor man are (indeed) evil (in regard to his outward circumstances); but whosoever is of a joyful heart has (nevertheless) a continual feast.”—A.].

3. Pro_15:16-23. Of various other virtues and vices.—With 16, a, comp. Pro_16:8.—Than great treasure and trouble with it.—Trouble, θόρυβος, here probably not the anxiety which apprehends losing the treasure again (Bertheau), but the care which accumulated the wealth, and constantly seeks to increase it, Psa_39:6 (7), (Hitzig). [Rueetschi observing the more general use of the noun, understands it to refer to the confusion and disorder in human society attendant upon riches without the fear of God.—A.].

Pro_15:17. Better is a dish of herbs, when love is there,—literally, “a portion of green,” i.e., vegetables (Jer_40:5; Jer_52:24; 2Ki_25:30). Vegetables represent simple fare in general (comp. Dan_1:2), while meat, as always and every here in the East, is holiday fare, especially the flesh of fatted oxen (Luk_15:23; Luk_15:30).—Observe, furthermore, how the verse before us exhibits on the one hand a meaning exactly parallel to the preceding, while on the other hand it presents a climax to its ideas (fear of God—love to one’s neighbor; trouble—hate).—As a substantial parallel compare the proverb in Meidani II. Pro 422: “Want with love is better than hatred with riches.”—With Pro_15:18 comp. above, Pro_15:1, as also Pro_26:21; Pro_28:25; Pro_29:22; Sir_28:11-13.

Pro_15:19. The way of the slothful is as a hedge of thorns, i.e., because he is always encountering obstacles and hinderances, does not come away having accomplished his life’s work, but must find his foot every where entangled and kept back. [The special aptness of this figure in Palestine is amply illustrated in Hackett’s Scripture Illustrations, Thomson’s The Land and the Book, etc.—A]. It is otherwise With the “upright,” i.e., the man who unmoved and unremitting goes about the performance of his duty, and continues with vigorous efficiency in the work of his calling. His way is, according to clause b, “built up,” i.e., lit. raised by throwing up a ridge (Isa_57:14; Isa_62:10; Jer_18:15, etc.), a way which leads easily and surely to its end.—Hitzig without any necessity reads עָרִיץ for עָצֵל, to obtain as he thinks a more appropriate antithesis to the word “upright,” (יְשָׁרִים). But that the slothful may be very fitly contrasted with the upright or righteous, appears abundantly from proverbs like Pro_10:26; Pro_28:19; Pro_6:10, etc.

Pro_15:20. With clause a compare the literally identical first half of Pro_10:1.—But a foolish man, lit. “a fool of a man;” comp. Pro_21:20, and the similarly constructed expression “a wild ass of a man,” Gen_16:12. Bertheau wrongly renders “the most foolish of men.”

Pro_15:21. Folly (here unreasonable conduct, senseless action) is joy to him that lacketh wisdom. Comp. Pro_10:23.—Goeth straight forward, lit. “maketh straight to go.” Going straight forward is naturally acting rightly in moral and religious matters.

Pro_15:22. (There is) Failure of plans where there is no counsel. Literally, “a breaking of plans” is, comes to pass, “where no counsel is.” For the meaning comp. Pro_11:14, especially also with respect to clause b.—They come to pass, i.e., the plans. The singular of the verb is used in the Heb. distributively, as in Pro_3:18 (see notes there).

Pro_15:23. A man hath joy through the answer of his mouth, and a word in due season, how good is it! That the second clause cannot be antithetic to the first (Hitzig), but stands as its explanation or its climax is evident; for the “word in its time” is just the “answer” of clause a, exciting joy because apt and exactly meeting the inquiry.—Comp. furthermore parallels like Pro_10:20; Pro_10:31-32, etc.

4. Pro_15:24-33. Of several other virtues especially of the religious life.—An upward path of life is the way of the wise; lit. “a path of life upward is to the wise,” i.e., the man of understanding walks in a way which as a way of life leads ever upward, to ever higher degrees of moral purity, elevation and power, but also in the same ratio to an ever-increasing prosperity. A reference to heaven as the final limit of this upward movement of the life of the righteous is so far forth indirectly included, as the antithesis to the “upward;” the “hell beneath” (hell downwards, hell to which one tends downward), suggests a hopeless abode in the dark kingdom of the dead, as the final destination of the sinner’s course of life. Therefore we have here again the idea of future existence and retribution (comp. Pro_11:7; Pro_14:32)—a meaning which Bertheau and Hitzig seek in vain to take from the proverb. Comp. Elster on this passage.

Pro_15:25. The house of the proud will Jehovah destroy. For the verb comp. Pro_2:22. By “house” is here meant not the mere dwelling, but also the family of the proud, just as in Pro_14:11; compare also Pro_14:1.—And establisheth the border of the widow, i.e., the innocent widow who is in danger of being wronged by the proud through encroachment upon her borders. Comp. moreover with this expression Deu_32:8.

Pro_15:26. Compare Pro_11:20.—But pure (in His sight) are gracious words, here probably specifically words sweetly consoling, words of love and compassion toward troubled souls, comp. Pro_16:24. Such words are in Jehovah’s judgment pure or precious, i.e., with a pure and genuine ring; comp. Psa_19:8-9 (9, 10).—Hitzig proposes instead of טְהוֹרִים to read טֹפְּלִים [adhere, cleave] from which comes the meaning strengthening the antithesis of the parallel: “and pleasant words cleave fast (?).”

Pro_15:27. He troubleth his own house that seeketh unjust gain. For the last expression “spoileth spoil,” i.e., goes after unlawful gains, seeks plunder, comp. Pro_1:19; for the former phrase “disturb or trouble the house,” Pro_11:29. The sentence as a whole seems to be aimed especially at unjust judges, who are willing to be bribed by gifts, in contrast with the judge that “hates gifts,” and so is incorruptible and unchangeably upright; comp. Pro_28:16.

Pro_15:28. The heart of the righteous studieth to answer, i.e., reflects upon its answers with all care, that it may utter nothing evil or perverse, while the wicked thoughtlessly “pours forth” his evil and perverse thoughts (pours forth, comp. Pro_15:2); compare Mat_12:35.—With Pro_15:29 comp. Pro_15:8.

Pro_15:30. A friendly look rejoiceth the heart. Lit. “lustre of the eyes;” it denotes, like the “light, of the countenance” in Pro_16:15, the cheerful beaming of the eye of the friendly, which exerts on one’s neighbor also an influence refreshing to the heart, especially at the time when, as clause b indicates, it communicates a “good message,” “joyful tidings” (comp. Pro_25:25). For this “rich nourishing of the bones” (lit., making fat), comp. Pro_11:28; Pro_13:4; also Pro_16:24.—In this conception of the verse which is the simplest and on all sides well guaranteed, according to which clause b only defines more exactly the import of clause a, there is no need either of giving an objective cast to the idea of “brightness to the eye,” as though it meant “friendly recognition” (Luther, De Wette, Bertheau), or of changing מְאוֹר to מַרְאֶה (Hitzig).

Pro_15:31. The ear that heareth the reproof of life, i.e.,., reproof which has true life for its end, which points out the way to it, and for that very reason already in advance has life in itself and imparts it.—Will abide among the wise, i.e., will itself become wise (Pro_13:20), and therefore permanently belongs to the circle of the wise. For this verb to “abide” (לוּץ), lit. to pass the night, i.e., to tarry long at some place, comp. Psa_25:13; Psa_49:12 (13); Job_19:4. The ear here stands by synecdoche for the hearer, as in Job_29:11; Exo_10:26; 1Ki_19:18.

Pro_15:32. He that refuseth correction despiseth himself, lit. “undervalues, lightly values his soul,” in so far as he does not ensure life, in so far as, without knowing and willing it, he loves death more than life (comp. Pro_8:36).—But he that heedeth reproof getteth understanding; comp. Pro_4:5; Pro_4:7; Pro_16:16. The man who “getteth understanding” is, however, according to Pro_19:8 the very man who does not hate his own soul but loves it.

Pro_15:33. With clause a compare Pro_1:7; Pro_9:10.—And before honor is humility. Humility here plainly appears as the necessary correlate to the fear of God, and as a chief manifestation of wisdom, which is elsewhere named as that which confers honor, e.g., Pro_3:16; Pro_8:18. Compare Pro_18:12, b, where the second clause of the verse before us occurs again.—The entire verse, by virtue of its somewhat general character, is equally well adapted to close a long series of proverbs, and to open a new section. It is therefore unnecessary, as Hitzig does, to transfer it to the following chapter, and to regard it, as a sort of superscription to the second half of that division of the Book of Proverbs in which we now are (chap. 16–22).

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

Among the proverbs of the chapter before us, which hardly admit of a grouping according to any well-established, clearly conspicuous principle of classification (comp. the four divisions which are distinguished in the “Exegetical Notes:” Pro_15:1-7; Pro_15:8-15; Pro_15:16-23; Pro_15:24-33), several stand out as of no slight theological and soteriological importance,—especially the beautiful reference to the omniscience of God, the holy and righteous Ruler, in Pro_15:3 and Pro_15:11,—and the twice repeated emphasizing of the religious worthlessness of outward shows of reverence for God, without true devotion and consecration in the heart, Pro_15:8; Pro_15:29. The last mentioned truth is among the favorite ideas of the enlightened prophetic teachers and men of God in the Old Testament; (compare the parallel passages cited above in connection with Pro_15:8). It lets the clear light of that evangelical saving grace, which was already operative under the economy of the law, but which only in Christ rose as a full-orbed sun, shine with quite peculiar brightness on the dark ground of Old Testament life. In this connection there is, it is true, the distinction to be made (noticed above under Pro_15:8) between “sacrifice” and “prayer;” that the former term describes a gift brought to God, the latter a desire directed to Him. Yet this is by no means an essential difference; for both, sacrifice and prayer, which indeed falls likewise under the category of offering in the broadest sense (Psa_119:108; Heb_13:15), come under consideration here only as general tokens of reverence for God; and the value of both is clearly defined by this test, whether the state of heart in those who bring them is or is not well pleasing to God (comp. Isa_29:13; Mat_15:7 sq.); in other words, whether the offering brought is a purely outward act, or the fruit of a sincere self-consecration of the entire personality in spirit and in truth, a “reasonable service” in the sense of Rom_12:1.

Closely related to the scope of these proverbs is what was said above, on Pro_15:17, of the worthlessness of outward shows of beneficence, especially free hospitality without inward love (comp. 1Co_13:2).—Furthermore a specially serious consideration is due to the warnings against low greed and avarice, as leading, nevertheless, to the destruction of one’s own home: Pro_15:6; Pro_15:27; to the repeated allusions to the necessity that one readily submit himself to reproof and correction for his faults: Pro_15:5; Pro_15:10; Pro_15:12; Pro_15:31-32; to the beautiful commendation of humility as the first step to true honor: Pro_15:33; and finally to the reiterated reference to the righteous judgment of God, which reaches its completion only in the life to come: Pro_15:25 (see notes on this passage).

HOMILETIC AND PRACTICAL

Homily on the entire chapter: Right sensibility or a pure heart the only true service of God (1Sa_15:22), demonstrated 1) in good and perverse conduct with the mouth and tongue (Pro_15:1-7); 2) in proper worship or the religious life (Pro_15:8-15); 3) in the intercourse of man with his neighbors (Pro_15:16-33).—Or again; Love (to God and men) as the germ and the true norm of all religious rectitude (Hos_6:6; Mat_9:13; Mat_12:7).—Comp. Stöcker: How true prudence (wisdom) must guard man against sins 1) of the tongue (1–9); 2) of the heart and the hands (10–22); 3) against other sins of various kinds (23–33).—In a similar way Wohlfarth: The effect of prudence; a means of guarding one’s self against sins of various kinds.

Pro_15:1-7. Starke (on Pro_15:1-2); when genuine piety exists there will not be wanting other manifestations of friendliness and gentleness. Even where there is occasion for earnestness in the punishment of transgressions, a friendly spirit must still be combined with it. Earnestness without friendship profits as little as friendliness without earnestness.—Geier (on Pro_15:3): If God knows all things then He knows also His children’s need, and is intent on their help and deliverance.—(On Pro_15:5): If even to the most capable and powerful spirits there is still need of good discipline and instruction, how much more to the indolent and drowsy!—(On Pro_15:6); In connection with temporal blessings be intent upon righteousness in their attainment, contentment in their possession, prudence and system in their employment, submission in their loss!—[Arnot (on Pro_15:1): Truth alone may be hated, and love alone despised; man will flee from the one and trample on the other; but when truth puts on love, and love leans on truth, in that hallowed partnership lies the maximum of moral power within the reach of man in the present world.—Trapp (on Pro_15:6): Every righteous man is a rich man, whether he hath more or less of the things of this life. For, first, he hath plenty of that which is precious. Secondly, propriety: what he hath is his own].

Pro_15:8-19. Cramer (on Pro_15:8): It is not works that make the man good, but when the man is justified, then his works are also good; God in His grace makes well-pleasing to Himself the works that come of faith, even though great imperfections still mingle with them.—Starke (on Pro_15:11): The doctrine of God’s omniscience is already in the Old Testament revealed frequently enough, and so clearly that no one can excuse himself on the ground of ignorance concerning it. (On

Pro_15:12): He is wise who gladly associates with those from whom he can learn something, though it be disagreeable to the flesh to do so.—Zeltner (on Pro_15:13 sq.): He is the most prosperous man who possesses the treasure of a good conscience and seeks to preserve it; he can always be joyful in God (Act_26:16).—Wohlfarth (Pro_15:13-17): The joyous heart. What can all the good things of this earth profit us when our inner nature is in trouble and our countenance sad? How rich are we, even with little earthly possession, if we only possess the one good of a conscience at peace, and a heart joyful in God!—Von Gerlach (on Pro_15:19): The sluggard lets his paths grow over, i.e., his means of acquisition go to waste, and his resources decay.—[Charnock (on Pro_15:11); God knows the whole state of the dead—things that seem to be out of all being; He knows the thoughts of the devils and damned creatures, whom He hath cast out of His care forever into the arms of His justice; much more is He acquainted with the thoughts of living men, etc.]

Pro_15:20-33, Hasius (on Pro_15:22-23): Many eyes see more than one, and many souls think more than one; therefore never esteem thyself so wise that thou shouldst not seek others’ counsel.…A good thought on which one falls at the right time is not to be valued with much gold.—Wohlfarth (on Pro_15:22-26): Important as it is in general that one testify the truth, as important is the way in which, this is done.—Von Gerlach (on Pro_15:24): The very direction of the way which the wise enters saves him from extreme disasters; it leads toward God, toward the kingdom of eternal light, welfare and life.—(On Pro_15:33): Honor one can attain in the way of truth only by giving honor to the Lord alone, i.e., by profound humility (1Pe_5:6).—J. Lange: True humility consists not in all manner of outward gestures, but in the fact that one in perfect self-denial agree with the will of God, Luk_1:38.—[W. Bates (on Pro_15:33): Humility preserves the true and noble freedom of the mind of man, secures his dear liberty and peaceful dominion of himself. This is the effect of excellent wisdom].

Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures (Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical), ed. John Peter Lange, English translation edited by Philip Schaff (1864–1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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 Pro 15:1. The tongue of the righteous which useth knowledge aright is better than the mouth of fools Pro 15:2. Better is the prayer of the upright than the sacrifice of the wicked Pro 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 Pro 15:9). Better is the heart that seeketh knowledge than to feed on foolishness Pro 15:14). Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith Pro 15:16). This fits many in our own days. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith Pro 15:17). Better it is to be slow to anger than wrathful Pro 15:18). Better is the plain way of the righteous than the thorny way of the slothful Pro 15:19). Better is to hear reproof than to refuse it Pro 15:32).

Some other deep sayings are found in this chapter. For instance in Pro 15:11.

Sheol and destruction are before the LORD,

How much more then the hearts of the children of men.

(Destruction, or Abaddon, is used in Rev 9:11.)

All is known to the Lord. The unseen world as well as the future; all eternity is known to Him. All is naked and open before Him. He knoweth the hearts of men, yea even our thoughts afar off, before they ever pass through our finite minds.

Twice prayer is mentioned in this chapter, in Pro 15:8 and Pro 15:29. Not alone does the Lord delight in the prayer of the upright, but He also heareth them. “The LORD is far from the wicked, but He heareth the prayer of the righteous.”

Arno C. Gaebelein, The Annotated Bible (1913–1922) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Pro 15:1

I. It is a very hard thing to live through a month without being unkind or angry. Calm and sweet tempers are rare; and perhaps we may say, without disparaging their value or their beauty, that it is not to these to which we naturally look for the most conspicuous services in the cause of God. Their province is to heal, to calm, to sweeten life; but perhaps it is from more fiery—yes, and more turbulent natures, that we must expect the initiative in works of good.

II. "A soft answer turneth away wrath." Some provocation is presupposed; some one has, or fancies he has, a grievance. Such grievances must arise in our common life. In this sense, "it must be that offences come." What an opening there is here for our putting in practice Solomon’s wise and truly Christian proverb: "A soft answer turneth away wrath"!

III. If there be such happiness in a soft answer, how is it that it is so hard to give it? There is one great obstacle to which all others may be reduced—the obstacle of pride. When harsh words are addressed to us which we feel to be unmerited, we cannot bring ourselves to forego the delight of a successful retort, still less can we bear to admit that any part of the wrong is of our doing. Pride disguises itself very cunningly, so that even a high-minded Christian is misled by its craft.

IV. Remember the blessing pronounced on the peacemakers. No man ever repented the endeavour to rekindle "quietness, peace, and love" among friends who ought never to have been parted.

H. M. Butler, Harrow Sermons, 2nd series, p. 163.

References: Pro 15:1.—W. Arnot, Laws from Heaven, 1st series, p. 424. Pro 15:1-6.—R. Wardlaw, Lectures on Proverbs, vol. ii., p. 20. Pr 15:3. 11.—W. Arnot, Laws from Heaven, 2nd series, p. 9. Pro 15:4.—W. Gladden, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxvii., p. 132. Pro 15:6.—T. Wallace, Ibid., vol. xi., p. 174; H. J. Wilmot Buxton, Literary Churchman Sermons, p. 153. Pro 15:7-12.—R. Wardlaw, Lectures on Proverbs, vol. ii., p. 29. Pro 15:11.—Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. iv., No. 177. Pro 15:13.—W. Arnot, Laws from Heaven, 2nd series, p. 30. Pro 15:13-20.—R. Wardlaw, Lectures on Proverbs, vol. ii., p. 40. Pro 15:14, Pro 15:31.—W. Arnot, Laws from Heaven, 2nd series, p. 37. Pro 15:16, Pro 15:17.—Clergyman’s Magazine, vol. xi., p. 152. Pro 15:19.—Spurgeon, My Sermon Note19 Genesis to Proverbs, p. 172.

Pro 15:20

I. Consider in what this wisdom consists. Wisdom in the Proverbs does not mean simply intellectual greatness, or intellectual acquirements; a man may be very learned and clever, yet be quite destitute of that excellent wisdom of which Solomon speaks. Wisdom means goodness; it means striving to discover what is God’s will as regards the conduct of our lives, and acting upon it when discovered. It means keeping God’s commandments and loving and fearing Him, and doing unto all men as we would they should do unto us.

II. Consider how a wise son will treat his parents. (1) A wise son honours and respects his parents no less in their absence than in their presence. For him their wish is law, whether they know at the time, whether they will ever know, that he is fulfilling it or not. (2) The honour and respect which we owe our parents will be shown, not only in our acts, but in our words, when we speak or write to them, and our very looks when we are with them. He that refuses a proper reverence to age, though he may fancy he is asserting his superiority, is only proving in reality his own littleness. (3) A wise son is not content with honouring his parents, he also loves them very dearly, and does his best in absence to keep up that warmth of affection which was realised when he was with them.

III. These things are an allegory. Our earthly relations are but a figure of our heavenly relations. The tenderness, the loving care, the joyful self-sacrifice of our earthly parents, are meant to assure us of, and to aid us in believing in, the exceeding great love of our heavenly Father towards us.

E. H. Bradby, Sermons at Haileybury, p. 265.

Pro 15:23

I. It is of importance to take notice of that habit which is opposed to the duty for which the text contends; I mean the habit of reserve. It would be a grievous mistake to suppose that this habit is wholly a bad one. But the important point to notice is, that the reaction against the counterfeit of devotion is likely to rob us of what was intended by God to be a true aid to devotion. How often have we seen persons of the greatest ability, and the purest hearts, who yet dared not produce what was in them, because they saw other persons to be insincerely and offensively doing the same. This reserve is incomparably superior to a frivolous superficial interchange of religious experiences; but it is far inferior to Christian simplicity. It does not represent the spirit of Paul or John, or of great reformers, or of the most heroic characters. It certainly does not represent the mind of Christ.

II. "A word spoken in due season, how good is it!" (1) There is the word of warning; (2) the word of encouragement; (3) the word of sympathy; (4) the word of congratulation; (5) the word of explanation and apology. To be in any sense "a son of consolation," to be able to make life a little sweeter for others, good a little easier, evil a little more hated and despised, this would be a high privilege for the oldest as well as the youngest among us. Words can do much in this Christian work. Think of the blessing involved in these words of Isaiah, "The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary." If God has not given to each of us the tongue of the learned, He has given to each, if we will but use it, the tongue of truth, of kindness, of purity, of sympathy. There are many, who are "weary" of other sounds, who would gladly listen to sounds like these.

H. M. Butler, Harrow Sermons, p. 217.

References: Pro 15:23.—H. J. Wilmot Buxton, The Children’s Bread, pp. 49, 56. Pro 15:33.—Clergyman’s Magazine, vol. ii., p. 10; W. Arnot, Laws from Heaven, 2nd series, p. 45; Spurgeon, Evening by Evening, p. 96. Pro 16:1-3.—R. Wardlaw, Lectures on Proverbs, vol. ii., p. 65.

The Sermon Bible, ed. William Robertson Nicoll (1888–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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.- Pro_15:1

"A meek tongue is a tree of life; but perverseness therein is a breaking of the spirit."- Pro_15:4

"A wrathful man stirreth up contention; but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife."- Pro_15:18

BAD temper causes more suffering than the modified severity with which we judge it would imply. It is in a home what toothache is in the body: the pain is insufferable and yet it is not treated as serious. A passionate man or woman spreads a pervading sense of irritation in the house or in the workshop, and all the other occupants of the place are as if they dwelt in a country subject to earthquakes; life for them is divided between anxiety to avoid the explosion and a painful effort to repair its devastations. We are not severe enough on these faults of temper in ourselves or in others; we are too prone to excuse them on the ground of temperament, as if we were no more responsible for outbreaks of passion than for the color of our hair or the tone of our complexion. It will, therefore, do us good to see what the Wise Man says on the subject.

First of all, we have several proverbs which remind us how irritating an angry disposition is: it is the constant occasion of strife; it grows itself by each fresh annoyance that it gives, so that it quickly becomes ungovernable, and thus "the wrathful man aboundeth in transgression." {Pro_29:22} A fierce ungovernable temper will set a whole city in a flame, {Pro_19:8} and lead to disasters of national and even world-wide extent. However peaceful and happy a community may be, if a choleric man enters it, signs of combustion will soon begin to appear. There are always hot embers which wise men are earnestly trying to damp, {Pro_19:8} there are trivial irritations, petty annoyances, incipient envies, which are only too easily inflamed; the cool spirit and the conciliatory word and the ingenious diversion, of thought will keep the embers choked until the heat dies away but "as coals to hot embers, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to inflame strife." {Pro_26:21}

We may well be cautioned to give such an inflammatory character a wide berth: "Make no friendship with a man that is given to anger; and with a wrathful man thou shalt not go: lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul." {Pro_22:24} Even a sweet temper may be chafed into peevishness by constant irritations; with passionate people the gentlest become passionate in self-defense. When this unbridled, ill-disciplined nature approaches, we should avoid it as if it were a bear robbed of her whelps, for such is this fool in his folly. {Pro_17:12}

This leads us to notice that anger and folly are very closely allied. The passionate nature is constantly betrayed into actions which sober wisdom must condemn, -"He that is soon angry will deal foolishly…He that is slow to anger is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly." {Pro_14:17; Pro_14:29} Anyone with a grain of sense will put a check upon his rising temper; his discretion makes him slow to anger, and he never feels to have won such true glory as when he bridles his wrath and passes by an offence without a sign of annoyance or resentment. You may almost be sure that a man is wise if you find that he has a cool spirit. {Pro_17:27} When you see a person who cautiously avoids the ground where strife is apt to be excited, and builds his house on a spot where contention is impossible, you instinctively respect him, for you know it betokens wisdom; but when you see a man always getting involved in quarrels, always showing his teeth you rightly conclude that he is a fool. {Pro_20:3} "A fool uttereth all his anger: but a wise man keepeth it back and stilleth it." {Pro_29:11} If we are naturally irritable or splenetic, wisdom will incline us to avoid occasions which excite us, and to keep a watchful guard over our spirits where the occasions are inevitable. If we neglect such precautions we shall justly be counted fools, and the consequent outbreaks of passion will lead us into fresh exhibitions of folly, and more completely justify the harsh judgment which has been passed upon us.

But not the least sign of the folly which is inherent in passion is the shocking effect which it has upon those who give way to it. As the LXX version says at the beginning of this chapter, "Anger destroys even the wise." And one whose spirit is without restraint is forcibly compared to a city that is broken down and has no wall, {Pro_25:28} every foe can go up and possess it, every thoughtless child can fling a firebrand into it; the barest word, hint, smirk, shrug of the shoulders, any unintentional slight or reflection, nay, even silence itself, will suddenly set the powder-train on fire, and the consequent explosion will be more destructive to the city itself than to those who are outside. "A man of great wrath shall bear the penalty," and, poor fellow, perhaps it is best that he should, for if you deliver him from the consequence of his passion, that will only encourage him in further outbreaks, and so he will become worse, and your deliverance will be an endless task. {Pro_19:19}

Our great King Henry II was subject to fits of uncontrollable passion, in which he would roll on the floor and bite the dust, impotent with rage; and all the sorrows of his life and reign, falling heavily upon him in his later years, were occasioned by this unhappy temper. At the present time we are told that the Chinese frequently indulge in fits of passionate wrath, which react terribly upon their health and make them physically ill. The wrathful man does mischief to many, but his wrath is like an old arquebus, which, when it is fired, hurts the bearer almost as much as the enemy. It may fail to hit the mark, but it is sure to knock down the marksman.

Probably here the plea will be urged that we cannot help our temper, and it may be said the suffering which it brings upon us is the best proof that it is an infirmity rather than a vice. Now this excuse cannot be allowed to pass; a certain good bishop on one occasion hearing it urged, in extenuation of a mans conduct, that he had such an unfortunate temper, exclaimed, "Temper, why temper is nine-tenths of Christianity!" If we are not to be blamed for bad temper, then there is no fault or defect or vice which we cannot shift off our own shoulders and lay to the charge of our constitution. But our constitution is no excuse for sin; the most that can be urged is that if we are constitutionally inclined to any particular sin we must seek for a special strength to fortify us against it. If in building a city an ancient engineer had one side more exposed than the rest, protected by no natural escarpments of rock or bends of the river, there he would concentrate all his skill to make the wall impregnable. If you find that one of your bodily organs betrays a tendency to disease, you are careful to avoid the exposure, or the strain, or the derangement, which would unfavorably affect it. If your lungs are delicate you shun fogs and chills; if your heart is feeble you are careful to avoid any sudden excitement; if your eyes are weak you notice very particularly by what light you read, and are sensitive to the least weariness in those delicate instruments. In the same way, if your special infirmity lies in the temper; if you are easily provoked, or apt to fall into sullenness; if a sudden annoyance excites an uncontrollable passion in your mind, or drops into your heart seeds of bitterness which rapidly grow and become ineradicable; you have your work cut out for you; your daily task will be to avoid the things which produce such ill effects, and to cultivate the habits which lessen the virulent action of these irritant poisons. Few of us realize how wonderfully our constitution is subjected to our own control, and how much we ourselves have to do with the making of it.

You know, we will suppose, that you are easily entangled in a quarrel; you must then prepare yourself before you go out into the business of the day, -"Go not forth hastily to strive, lest what wilt thou do in the end, when thy neighbor hath put thee to shame?" {Pro_25:8} This realization of what will probably result from your hasty temper will act as a check upon it, and you will be inclined, if you have any ground of offence against your neighbor, to go quietly and debate it with him alone. {Pro_25:9} Or if the contention has been sprung upon you unawares, take care that over the floodgates of your passion has been written this wholesome warning, "The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before there be any setting of the teeth." Pro_17:14. See note preceding. Knowing your danger you must summon to your aid all the heroism of your nature, and remember that this is the time and the occasion to exercise it. Others have to win their spurs on the battlefield; this is your battlefield, and here your spurs are to be won. Others have to win kingdoms or capture cities; here is the kingdom where you are to reign, this is the city which you are to take. "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city." {Pro_16:32}

Get at some grand root principle like this: "Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all transgressions." {Pro_10:12} Ah, yes, if you are disposed to be angry with men, fill your spirit with love to them; that will soothe your irritable nerves, and will flow over their transgressions so that they cease to annoy you because you cease to see them; when we are fervent in love to one another, the love covers a multitude of sins. {1Pe_5:8} Where love comes into the soul we are more anxious to convert those who offend us than to be angry with them. {Jam_5:20} Love saves us from the self-vaunting which exposes us to the annoyances, and provokes the attacks, of the malignant; {1Co_13:4} and it enables us to bear all things, almost without a ruffle or a perturbation. Strange to say, passionate temperaments are often very affectionate; let them cultivate the love in themselves, and it will be the destruction of the evil temper. And where the evil passion comes from a true moroseness, then the fruit can only be destroyed with the root, and the root can only be destroyed when love is shed abroad in the heart.

Or possibly your anger is not of the passionate kind, but rather stern and resentful, arising from an exaggerated sense of self-importance. A meek heart is not wrathful, and it is the life of the flesh; but where meekness fails, envy enters as rottenness of the bones, and with envy, hatred and malice. {Pro_14:30} A meek tongue not only checks wrath in itself, but soothes it in others; it is a tree of life, just as perverseness in it is a breaking of the spirit {Pro_15:4} If you thought less of yourself, you would not so frequently feel your dignity offended; you would not require this weapon of wrath always at hand to leap forth and avenge your outraged pride. From the meek heart vengeance dies away. "Say not thou, I will recompense evil: wait on the Lord, and He shall save thee." {Pro_20:22} You are sudden and quick in quarrel, because you think of yourself more highly than you ought to think; and because others do not share your opinion of yourself, you must summon all your artillery of wrath to make them bend the stubborn knee and offer you the due tribute of deference or admiration. For if bad temper comes often from constitutional infirmities which must be carefully watched and controlled, it comes just as frequently from that subtle enemy of our souls, Pride.

But now we come to the important question, How are our evil passions to be cured? And we must frankly admit that our book has no suggestions to offer. Its tendency is to regard our disposition as fixed, our temperament as irreversible, our character as unchangeable. It points out with crystalline clearness the mischief of wrath and the merit of meekness, but it never so much as entertains the possibility that the wrathful man might become meek, the passionate man patient and gentle.

We have in our analysis of the evil observed that in order to avoid it we must be to mark and control the first risings of we have noted too that if we were anger would die away, and if we humble, the resentments which stir our anger would have nothing to feed upon. But the main difficulty is, how are we to become watchful, since it is the special characteristic of a hasty temper that it overpowers our sentinels before it assaults the city? And how are we to become loving and humble? It is only throwing the difficulty back a step or two, and showing us how insuperable it is, to say that we must become good in one direction in order to escape the evil which lies in another direction. It does not help the Ethiopian to become a European to tell him that Europeans have white skins instead of black; nor can a leopard change his kind because he learns that his spots are his distinctive mark.

There must be a deeper message than that of the Proverbs to solve this practical difficulty; though we may well feel that the book is invaluable in setting before us how greatly we need a deeper message. No infirmity of human nature proves more forcibly than the one with which we are dealing that "something out of Nature" must come in if a change is to be effected. "We must be born again"; it is only a regenerate heart which will have the impulse and the ability to watch against the eruption of a passionate disposition. It is only a regenerate heart which can love in such a way that irritations cease to fret, or that can be humble enough to escape the exasperations of wounded pride. Many of us think lightly of these particular faults, and scarcely designate ill-temper a sin at all; but however we may regard it, the wrathful disposition requires nothing less than Christ, and. Him crucified, to cure it, and God deemed it worthwhile to send His only-begotten Son in order to effect the cure. In Christ Jesus are forces, moral and spiritual, strong enough to control the most uncontrollable rage and to soothe the most irritable temper; and as we can point to no other power which is sufficient for such a change, so few things manifest so strikingly the blessed presence of Christ in the heart as the softened and gentle temper, the removal of all those explosive elements which before He entered were constantly causing trouble and suffering and alarm.

Here is an example taken from a country where the knowledge of the Gospel is comparatively recent. A Japanese gentleman living at Fujioka, who was much addicted to the use of sáke, a strong intoxicant, which produced the worst results on his temper, was led through reading a tract on the subject to renounce the evil habit, and to accept Jesus Christ as his Savior. In proportion as the Divine Power mastered him he became a new creature. One day his wife had been careless about some silkworms eggs, which had become partially destroyed, and she trembled with fear that he would become enraged when he discovered it, and punish her severely, as he had done before. But to her great astonishment, when he found out what had happened he remained perfectly calm, and then said, "We can distribute them among our poor neighbors, and so they will have a larger crop. Thus it will perhaps be better than if we had sold them and taken all the money ourselves." His wife was so impressed with this change of character that she said, "This is the result of Christianity; I want to become a Christian too." She sought and found, and her whole family sought and found. And not only so, but the neighbors were struck by this "living epistle," and shortly afterwards when the missionary went to Fujioka there were ten persons awaiting baptism. At the present time a good Christian Church is growing up in the place.

Where the Lord Jesus Christ reigns evil passions subside and die away. "Learn of Me: for I am meek and lowly of heart." "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." One who is born again, one whose life is hidden with Christ in God, is necessarily meek, meek as the Lord Himself: not, as we well know, devoid of noble anger or fiery indignation, for indeed it is only the meek heart from which all personal pretensions have been eradicated, and to which no personal feeling can be attributed, that is able to pour out vials of wrath, undeterred and unquenchable, upon all that is base and mean, impure and false, corrupt and cruel; but meek in this beautiful sense, that it never takes offence, never suspects evil, never resents any wrong except moral wrong that is done to others, or spiritual wrong done to God. All the tinder on which angry passions feed has been removed by the Cross of Christ, and therefore the only wrath which can be entertained is such wrath as God feels, -the deep intense glow of consuming indignation against sin.

For our evil tempers, then, our passion, our wrath, our, sullen pride, our fretful irritability, our outbreaks of sarcasm, our malignant sneers, there is only one possible cure; we must bring the heart, out of which all the evil comes, to Jesus Christ, that He may create it anew; we must accept our failures as evidence of an imperfect surrender, and come afresh with a more insistent cry, and a more perfect faith, that He may reign in our hearts as undisputed Lord, checking, subduing, warring down, every evil motion there.

William Robertson Nicoll, ed., The Expositor's Bible (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1887–1910) — public domain. 65 of 66 books (1 Corinthians is not separately keyed, as that volume carries no machine-parseable verse references); section-level commentary keyed to the opening verse. Introductory and overview sections not keyed to a specific passage are excluded.

15:1 Moderating emotions and suiting them to the context helps others listen to what we say without reacting.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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 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.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

1. grievous words] More exactly, a grievous word, R.V.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Fury. This was seen in Nabal and Roboam, while Gideon and Abigail shewed the good effects of a mild answer, Judges viii. 1., and 1 Kings x. 25., and 3 Kings xii. 11.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

A soft, mild or gentle, answer, which may imply a foregoing charge or accusation, although the word is and may be rendered speech or discourse, turneth away wrath from the speaker.

Grievous words, fierce and vexatious replies or speeches, stir up anger; kindle it, and cause it to flame forth.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

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

3. Beholding] RV 'keeping watch upon,' as watching over a city (Isa_52:8), or the prophets over the people (Eze_3:17).

4. Read, 'a soothing tongue.. a wound in the spirit.'

7. Doeth not so] RM 'is not steadfast.'

8. A costly offering from the one is unacceptable: the mere prayer of the other is accepted (Mar_12:42).

11. Hell and destruction] RV 'Sheol and Abaddon.' The latter means 'place of destruction': cp. Pro_27:20; Job_26:6; Job_28:22; Job_31:12; Psa_88:11. At Rev_9:11; Abaddon is the Angel of Destruction. Subsequently it became the name for the lowest part of Gehenna.

15. 'Cheerful,' not merry: it is not the word rendered 'merry' inv. 13.

16. Religion delivers from harassing care.

17. A stalled ox] is one kept up and fattened for slaughter.

19. The one sees imaginary hindrances: the other's course is a well-made level road.

21. RV 'maketh straight his going': i.e. acts straightforwardly.

23. Well-considered and opportune speech brings joy.

24. Lit. 'The way of life upward is to the wise man': he escapes the premature death of the wicked.

26. RV 'pleasant words are pure' (in God's eyes).

27. Bribery is one of the greatest curses of the East (Exo_18:21; Eze_22:12; Sir_17:7).

30. The light of the eyes] i.e. good fortune.

31. He who does not wish to learn will be neither welcome nor happy among the wise.

J. R. Dummelow, A Commentary on the Holy Bible (Macmillan, 1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1. A soft answer turneth away wrath — Some imagine a literal translation to be the best. We give a specimen on this verse, divesting the words of their tropical, and restoring their physical, sense. Literal translation: A soft return causeth heat to turn; but a word of pain causes the nose to go up. The tropical sense of these several words amounts to about the same as those in our version; for example: “return” — in discourse an answer, or that which is returned; “soft” — gentle, kind; “heat” — passion, anger, wrath; “causes to turn” — turns it back or aside; “a word of pain” — that is, one causing pain, or unpleasant feelings; “the nose” — or, nostrils; “causes to go up” — shortens or contracts it, as is supposed to be the case in a fit of anger. The word rendered “answer,” in the text, applies to any words, whether those first spoken, or the reply to them. Every one’s observation and experience furnishes a sufficient commentary on this proverb. The power of gentle, good humoured words is often wonderful in subduing angry passions, while those which are sharp and cutting are as apt to excite them. Compare Pro_14:29; Pro_25:15.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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 (upopiptousa ) answer averteth wrath." Thus Abigail quelled the excessive anger of David by her judicious submission. (1Sa_25:24, etc.) But grievous words stir up anger. A word that causes vexation makes anger rise the higher. Orghv mataiav eisigoi . "Of empty anger words are oft the cause.

A soft answer and a bitter word.

Both of these are regarded as replies to angry words. They represent the wise and the foolish ways of treating such words. They give us a bright and a dark picture. Let us look at each.

I THE BRIGHT PICTURE.

1. The answer. A soft answer need not be a weak one, nor should it imply any compromise of truth, nor any yielding of righteousness. It may be firm in substance, though soft in language and spirit. Very often the most effective reply is given in the mildest tone. It is impossible to resent it, yet it is equally impossible to answer it. But often we may go further. When no vital interest of truth or righteousness is at stake, it may be well to yield a point of our own will and pleasure in order to secure peace.

2. Its inspiration. Such an answer might well be prompted by wisdom, for it is suggested on the ground of prudence in "Proverbs." Yet there is a higher motive for softness in reply to wrath. Christian love will inspire the kinder method, for love is more desirous of peace and good feeling than of securing all that might be justly demanded. To stand on one"s rights and resent the slightest intrusion upon them is to act from self-interest, or at best from a sense of self regarding duty. A higher feeling enters and a larger view follows when we are considering our brother"s feelings, the sorrow of a quarrel and the blessedness of peace.

3. Its results. It is successful not, perhaps, in gaining one"s own way, but in allaying wrath. It turns away wrath. The angry opponent is silenced. For very shame he can say no more; or his wrath dies out for want of fuel; or he is won to a better feeling by the generous treatment. At the worst he can find little pleasure in fighting an unarmed and unresisting opponent.

II THE DARK PICTURE. The ugly contrast of this second picture is necessary in order to emphasize the beauty of the former one. But however interesting they may be in art, Rembrandtesque effects are terrible in real life; for here they represent agonies and tragedies hatred, cruelty, and misery. Yet they need to be considered if only that they may be abolished.

1. The bitter answer. This is more than an angry retort. Bitterness is more pungent than wrath. While rage thunders, bitterness stabs. It contains a poisonous element of malice, and it means more ill will than the hot but perhaps hasty words that provoke it.

2. The root of its bitterness. No doubt this springs from a feeling of injury. The angry man has wronged his companion, or, at least, wounded him, and the retort is provoked by pain. But pain alone would not engender bitterness. A new element, a virus of ill will, is stirred when the bitter word is flung back, and it is the outflow of this ill will that gives bitterness to the answer.

3. The anger that it rouses. This new anger is worse than that which commenced the quarrel. Each reply is more hot, more furious, more cruel. Thus a great wrath is roused and a great fire kindled by a very little spark that has been fanned into a flame when it should have been quenched at the outset.

There is no question as to which of these two pictures best accords with Christian principle. The gospel of Christ is God"s soft answer to man"s rebellious wrath.

HOMILIES BY E. JOHNSON Vers. 1, 2, 4, 7. Virtues and vices of the tongue.

I MILDNESS AND VIOLENCE. (Ver. 1) The soft answer is like the water which quenches, and the bitter retort, the "grievous words," like the oil which increases the conflagration of wrath. As scriptural examples of the former, may be mentioned Jacob with Esau, (Ge 32 Ge 33) Aaron with Moses, (Lev_10:16-20) the Reubenites with their brethren, (Jos_22:15-34) Gideon with the men of Ephraim, (Jud 8:1-3) David with Saul, (1Sa_24:9-21) Abigail with David. (1Sa_25:23-32) And of the latter, Jephthah, (Jud 12:1-6) Saul, (1Sa_20:30-31) Nabal, (1Sa_25:10-13) Rehoboam, (1Ki_12:12-15) Paul and Barnabas. (Act_15:39)

II THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF WISE SPEECH AND THE REPULSIVENESS OF FOOLISH TALK. (Ver. 2) If this verse be more correctly rendered, it means that the tongue of the wise makes knowledge lovely, while the mouth of the fool foams with folly. The speech of the former is apt to time and place coherent and wins upon the listener. The latter is unseasonable, confused, nonsensical, repellent. Notice the tact of St. Paul"s addresses, (Act_17:22, 23 26:27-29) and what he says about foolish babbling in 2Ti_2:16-18 Tit_1:10.

III MODERATION AND EXTRAVAGANCE. (Ver. 4) A calm and measured tone should be cultivated, as well as a pure and peaceful heart; these mutually react upon one another. The extravagant, immoderate, licentious tongue is "like a blustering wind among the boughs of the trees, rushing and tearing the life and spirit of a man"s self and others" (Bishop Hail). Beware of exaggeration.

IV SPEECH A DIFFUSIVE INFLUENCE. (Ver. 7) The lips of the wise scatter seeds of good around them; not so with the heart and lips of the fool. "They trade only with the trash of the world, not with the commerce of substantial knowledge." The preaching of the gospel is compared to the scattering of good seed, and evil activity is the sowing of tares in the world field. J. (Mat_13:24, etc.)

HOMILIES BY W. CLARKSON Ver. 1. The soft answer.

This text has been on the lips of many thousands of people since it was first penned, and has probably helped many thousands of hearts to win an honourable and acceptable victory.

I THE FACT WHICH CONFRONTS US; viz. that in this life which we are living we must expect a large measure of misunderstanding. "It is impossible but that offences will come." With all our various and complex relationships; with all that we are expecting and requiring of one another in thought, word, and deed; with the limitations to which we are subject both in mind and in spirit; how could it be otherwise? A certain considerable measure of mistake, and of consequent vexation, and of consequent anger, will arise, as we play our part in this world. Occasions will arise when our neighbours, when our friends, when our near relatives, will speak to us with displeasure in their hearts, and with annoyance, if not anger, in their tone. This we must lay our account with.

II THE TEMPTATION WHICH ASSAILS US. This is to a resentment which utters itself in "grievous words." Anger provokes anger and makes it angrier still; vexation grows rote positive bitterness, and bitterness ends in miserable strife. Thus the "little fire" will "kindle a great matter;" thus a spark becomes a flame, and sometimes a flame becomes a fire and even a conflagration, Many a feud may be traced back to the utterance of a few hasty words, which might have been met and quieted by a pacific answer, if they had fallen on patient and wise ears.

III THE BEARING WHICH BECOMES US. To return "the soft answer." It does become us, because:

1. This is the true victory over our own spirit. (see homily on Pro_16:32)

2. It is also the worthiest victory over the man who provokes us. We "turn away wrath;" and how much nobler a thing it is to win by kindness than to crush by severity!

3. It is to render an essential service to many beside the actual spokesman. When one man starts a quarrel, a great many suffer on both sides. And when one man quenches a quarrel, he saves many from misery (and perhaps from sin) into which they would otherwise fall. (see Jud 8:1-3)

4. It is to act in accordance with the will and the example of our Lord. C.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

WHAT a mine of practical wisdom is this Book of God! Let us ponder this valuable rule for self-discipline, family peace, and Church unity. Scripture often illustrates the different effects of the tongue. The soft answer is the water to quench†1 — Grievous words are the oil to stir up, the fire.†2 And this is, alas! man’s natural propensity, to feed rather than to quench, the angry flame. We yield to irritation; retort upon our neighbour; have recourse to self-justification; insist upon the last word; say all that we could say; and think we "do well to be angry." (Jon 4:9 .) Neither party gives up an atom of the will. Pride and passion on both sides strike together like two flints; and "behold! how great a matter a little fire kindleth!" (Jas 3:5 .) Thus there is the self-pleasing sarcasm; as if we had rather lose a friend, than miss a clever stroke. All this the world excuses as a sensitive and lively temper. But the gospel sets before us our Savior’s example;†3 imbues with his spirit;†4 and imparts that blessed "charity, that is not easily provoked;"†5 and therefore is careful not to provoke a chafed or wounded spirit. If others begin, let us forbear from continuing the strife.†6 ’Patience is the true peace-maker.’†7 Soft and healing words†8 gain a double victory — over ourselves†9 and our brother.†10

Footnotes:

†1 See Jacob with Esau, Genesis 32. 33. : Aaron with Moses, Lev 10:16-20 : the Reubenites with their brethren, Jos 22:15-34 : Gideon with the men of Ephraim, Jdg 8:1-3 : David with Saul, 1Sa 24:9-21 ; 1Sa 26:21 : Abigail with David, 1Sa 25:23-32 .

†2 See the instances of Jephthah, Jdg 12:1-6 : Saul, 1Sa 20:30-34 : Nabal, 1Sa 25:10-12 : Rehoboam, 1Ki 12:12-15 : the Apostles, Act 15:39 . Compare Pro 30:33 .

†3 1Pe 2:23 .

†4 2Co 3:18 . Php 2:3-5 .

†5 1Co 13:5 .

†6 Pro 17:14. Even a Heathen could give this excellent advice — ’Let dissension begin from others, but reconciliation from thee.’ — Seneca.

†7 Bishop Sanderson’s Sermon on Rom 15:5 .

†8 Pro 25:15. Compare Ecc 7:8 . Jas 3:17-18 .

†9 Pro 16:32.

†10 Rom 12:19-21.

Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs (1846) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

v. 1. A soft answer turneth away wrath, a word spoken in gentleness when people are about to fly into a passion, is like oil on troubled waters; but grievous words, such as are offensive and violent, stir up anger, making it more passionate and embittered.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

A gentle answer turns away wrath

Causing a person to stop being angry is spoken of as if it were turning that person's wrath away. AT: "Answering a person gently will calm that person's wrath" (See: Metaphor)

but a harsh word stirs up anger

Causing a person to become more angry is spoken of as if it were stirring up or awakening anger. AT: "but speaking harshly causes that person to become more angry" (See: Metaphor)

The tongue of wise people compliments knowledge

Here the word "tongue" refers to the person who speaks. AT: "Wise people compliment knowledge when they speak" (See: Synecdoche)

compliments knowledge

"makes knowledge attractive" or "uses knowledge correctly"

the mouth of fools pours out folly

The writer speaks of fools' mouths as if they were containers and of folly as if it were the liquid that filled them. When fools speak, their mouths pour out the liquid. The word "mouth" represents those who speak. AT: "fools are always speaking folly" (See: Metaphor and Synecdoche)

translationWords

turn

wrath

word

anger

tongue

wise

know

fool

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.