Proverbs 18:7

Pro 18:7 A fool’s mouth [is] his destruction, and his lips [are] the snare of his soul.

Ver. 7. A fool’s mouth is his destruction.] Pro 10:14; Pro 12:13; Pro 13:3 {See Trapp on "Pro 10:14"} {See Trapp on "Pro 12:13"} {See Trapp on "Pro 13:3"}

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.

7 The mouth of the fool is to him destruction,

And his lips are a snare to his soul.

As Pro 18:6 corresponds to Pro 17:27 of the foregoing group, so this Pro 18:7 corresponds to Pro 17:28. Regarding מחתּה־לּו, vid., Pro 13:3. Instead of פי כּסיל, is to be written פּי־כסיל, according to Torath Emeth, p. 40, Cod. 1294, and old editions.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

(7) A fool’s mouth is his destruction.—See above on Pro_12:13.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

A fool's mouth is his destruction,.... The cause of it; for his contentions, and quarrels, and evil speaking, lawsuits are commenced against him, which bring ruin upon himself and his family now; as well as for his idle and wicked words he will be condemned hereafter, Mat 12:35; there is a world of iniquity in the mouth and tongue of a wicked man, which bring destruction upon himself and others, Jam 3:6;

and his lips are the snare of his soul; from speaking in his own defence, he says things which should not be said, and by which he is entangled yet more and more; he is caught by his own words and condemned by them; or his loquacity, in which he delights, is a snare unto him to say things which neither become him, nor are for his advantage, but the contrary; see Pro 12:13.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

7. Snare of his soul — Or life. His language endangers his life; and, in a higher sense, his soul also. Comp. Pro_10:14; Pro_13:3. For the figure snare, comp. Pro_2:13; Pro_13:14; Pro_14:27.

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

The results of the fool"s disposition and actions are further noted. A fool"s mouth is his destruction. (comp. Pro_10:15 Pro_13:9 Ecc_10:12) A mediaeval adage pronounces, "Ex lingua stulta veniunt incommoda multa." His lips are the snare of his soul; bring his life into danger. (see on Pro_12:13; comp. Pro_13:14 Pro_14:27 Pro_17:28) So St. Luke (Luk_21:35) speaks of the last day, coming upon men like "a snare (pagiv )," the word used by the Septuagint in this passage.

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

v. 7. A fool’s mouth, on account of his quarrelsome disposition, is his destruction, it brings ruin upon him, and his lips are the snare of his soul, his rash language causes trouble for himself.

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

A fool's mouth ... with his lips

Both of these phrases refer to what a fool says. AT: "What a fool says ... by what he says" (See: Metonymy)

is his ruin

"will ruin him"

he ensnares himself

This speaks of the man causing problems and trouble for himself as if he were trapping himself like a man traps an animal. AT: "he will cause problems for himself" (See: Metaphor)

The words of a gossip are like delicious morsels

This speaks of the words of a gossip being desirable to listen to as if they were delicious food to eat. AT: "The words of a gossip are desirable to listen to" or (See: Simile)

The words of a gossip

This refers to what a gossiping person says. AT: "The words that a gossiping person speaks" (See: Possession)

morsels

small bites of food

they go down into the inner parts of the body

This speaks of the words of a gossip going into a person's mind and affecting his thoughts as if they were food that was going into his stomach. AT: "and they enter a person's mind and affect his thoughts" (See: Metaphor)

translationWords

fool

ruin

word

gossip

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