Tag Archives: speech

Reading:
Proverbs 30:24-33

“If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth” (32).

I have done both. (At least one of them as recently as yesterday.)

And I continue to harvest the bitter fruit. (As do my wife and children.)

But what’s with the closing part of the verse?

Maybe it means that, when I realize my thinking is messed up, I should at least restrain my speech so I don’t audibly broadcast what’s going on in my heart.

Maybe my Spanish Bible has an ending different enough to clarify the meaning….

Nope.

[Turneth not away for any (Proverbs 30:30)]
from Proverbs 30:30

Reading:
Proverbs 24:24-34

I recall the pleasure at realizing I have given a right answer to a question or comment. Alas, sometimes that pleasure has been outright pride. 🙁 (And sometimes amazed incredulity.)

I also recall the dismay at having given the wrong (or inappropriate) answer. Unfortunately, sometimes there’s been pride when there should have been dismay. (And sometimes there’s been that amazed and stunned incredulity.)

Whatever the case, we treasure right answers — especially when we give them.

But this?

“Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer” (26).

My Western mind doesn’t understand. (Yes, I looked up the verse in my Spanish Bible…and the wording is essentially the same.) I don’t want every man (or even every woman) kissing my lips.

But I still want to have lips that give right answers.

So what does the verse mean and what is its cultural/historical context?

[Deceive not with thy lips (Proverbs 24:28)]
from Proverbs 24:28

A little bit more from Proverbs 24: Don’t Pay Back in Kind