4 A wholesome H4832 tongue H3956 is a tree H6086 of life: H2416 but perverseness H5558 therein is a breach H7667 in the spirit. H7307
And the LORD H3068 God H430 said, H559 Behold, H2005 the man H120 is become as one H259 of us, to know H3045 good H2896 and evil: H7451 and now, lest he put forth H7971 his hand, H3027 and take H3947 also of the tree H6086 of life, H2416 and eat, H398 and live H2425 for ever: H5769 Therefore the LORD H3068 God H430 sent him forth H7971 from the garden H1588 of Eden, H5731 to till H5647 the ground H127 from whence he was taken. H3947 So he drove out H1644 the man; H120 and he placed H7931 at the east H6924 of the garden H1588 of Eden H5731 Cherubims, H3742 and a flaming H3858 sword H2719 which turned every way, H2015 to keep H8104 the way H1870 of the tree H6086 of life. H2416
Thy tongue H3956 deviseth H2803 mischiefs; H1942 like a sharp H3913 razor, H8593 working H6213 deceitfully. H7423 Thou lovest H157 evil H7451 more than good; H2896 and lying H8267 rather than to speak H1696 righteousness. H6664 Selah. H5542 Thou lovest H157 all devouring H1105 words, H1697 O thou deceitful H4820 tongue. H3956
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Proverbs 15
Commentary on Proverbs 15 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
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.
Proverbs 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, Proverbs 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. Proverbs 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