THE POWER OF WORDS!
INTRODUCTION:
MESSAGE:
What is the impact of speech?
1. The Power of Life and Death:
21 The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.
20 From the fruit of his mouth a man’s stomach is filled;
with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied.
21 The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.
20 With the 1afruit of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied;
bHe will be satisfied with the product of his lips.
21 aDeath and life are in the 1power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its bfruit.
21 The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.
21 aDeath and life are in the 1power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its bfruit.
20. Synonymous, ternary (or, quaternary-ternary). The thought is that of 12:14; 13:2, 3, on which see notes—a man must take the consequences of his words, which are here regarded as expressing his thought and nature. Lit. from the fruit of a man’s mouth his belly is filled, the outcome (or, product) of his lips fills him. Fill and belly belong to the figure employed (eating)—words are spoken of as something that a man feeds on, they, by their consequences, determine his position and fate, they bring requital, for good or for evil according to their character. On outcome (= produce, product) see notes on 3:9, 14.—21. Synonymous, ternary. See 13:3. Good and bad speech are contrasted by their results. The death and life are physical; see notes on 3:2; 5:5. Are in the power of = “are at the disposition of, are dealt out by.” Caution in speech is suggested, since words may bring the greatest misfortune (the termination of earthly life) or the greatest good fortune (a long and prosperous life).—In second cl. the Heb. reads lit. they who love it (the tongue), which, in the connection, can mean only they who are fond of using it, but the verb is not natural, and the text is perhaps wrong. Grk. they who control it does not agree with the general form of the predicate of second cl., or with the thought of first cl.; the predicate to such a subject should be will enjoy good. The suggestions of De., that the it may refer to wisdom, or should be read Yahweh, are out of the question. Cf. BS. 37:18.
Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salta water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
Other Passages: ; ;
2. For the person speaking it can bring RUIN or JOY:
13 An evil man is trapped by his sinful talk,
but a righteous man escapes trouble.
14 From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things
as surely as the work of his hands rewards him.
13 1An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,
But the arighteous will escape from trouble.
14 A man will be asatisfied with good by the fruit of his 1words,
And the bdeeds of a man’s hands will return to him.
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3. Our Words can Destroy Others
a. Our Neighbors!
(the godless destroy their neighbors with their words!)
9 With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor,
but through knowledge the righteous escape.
b. Our city!
11 Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.
6 The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
but the speech of the upright rescues them.
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4. Our Words can Bring Life to Others
11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.
(The mouth of the righteous know what to say.)
31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,
but a perverse tongue will be cut out.
32 The lips of the righteous know what is fitting,
but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.
(How do we know the words to say?)
4 The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue,
to know the word that sustains the weary.
He wakens me morning by morning,
wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.