Proverbs 15:4 King James Version (KJV)

4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.


Proverbs 15:4 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

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


Proverbs 15:4 American Standard (ASV)

4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life; But perverseness therein is a breaking of the spirit.


Proverbs 15:4 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

4 A healed tongue `is' a tree of life, And perverseness in it -- a breach in the spirit.


Proverbs 15:4 Darby English Bible (DARBY)

4 Gentleness of tongue is a tree of life; but crookedness therein is a breaking of the spirit.


Proverbs 15:4 World English Bible (WEB)

4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, But deceit in it crushes the spirit.


Proverbs 15:4 Bible in Basic English (BBE)

4 A comforting tongue is a tree of life, but a twisted tongue is a crushing of the spirit.

Cross Reference

Proverbs 3:18 KJV

She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

Proverbs 12:18 KJV

There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.

Proverbs 16:24 KJV

Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

Genesis 3:22-24 KJV

And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Psalms 52:2-4 KJV

The tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.

Psalms 109:22 KJV

For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

Proverbs 18:8 KJV

The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

Proverbs 18:14 KJV

The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?

Malachi 4:2 KJV

But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

1 Timothy 6:3 KJV

If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;

Proverbs 26:22 KJV

The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

Revelation 2:7 KJV

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Proverbs 15

Commentary on Proverbs 15 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary


Verses 1-6

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