Proverbs 18: The Power Of The Tongue

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit" (vs. 21).  Solomon's proverbs reveal an abiding interest in the power of speech to bring about good or cause harm.

Back in the days before technology allowed us to communicate through texting, skyping, email, phone calls, and even the postal service, the physical tongue reigned supreme.  Speech was really the only way to communicate and verbalize one's thoughts and intentions.  The tongue thus came to symbolize the expression and voice we give to our inner self.  The proverbs stress that what we communicate holds tremendous power.

Here are some pithy sayings from chapter 18 about the impact of our words:

"A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his personal opinion" (vs. 2).  Reading this reminds me of the shouting matches that pass for informative news programs on modern television.  Those who try to talk over others should remember that we were given two ears and one mouth!

"The words of the mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a gushing stream" (vs. 4).  Although the words of a fool can be empty and baseless, the speech of a wise individual is profoundly enlightening.  When have you sat at the feet of someone who had much to teach you?  Wasn't it beneficial to be able to listen to their words and draw upon their knowledge and experience as they instructed you?

"A fool's lips bring strife, and a fool's mouth invites a flogging.  The mouths of fools are their ruin, and their lips a snare to themselves" (vs. 6-7).  Regretting something that we said is probably a universal human experience.  One of the ways that we learn to mature is realizing when we've said something that we shouldn't and vowing not to repeat that mistake.  Fools, however, have trouble learning this lesson and keep on enacting the errors of the past.  Our ambition should be to speak words that won't get us into trouble but that will instead serve as a blessing to others.

As you read through the proverbs, you will undoubtedly find more examples that speak of the power of the tongue for good or ill.  Remember, your tongue has the power of death and life in it!