Proverbs 18:7

18:4. The well-spring of wisdom in the heart of a believer, continually supplies words of wisdom. 5. The merits of a cause must be looked to, not the person. 6,7. What mischief bad men do to themselves by their ungoverned tongues! 8. How base are those that sow contention! and what fatal effects may be expected from small beginnings of jealousy! 9. Omissions of duty, and in duty, are fatal to the soul, as well as commissions of sin. 10,11. The Divine power, made known in and through our Lord Jesus Christ, forms a strong tower for the believer, who relies on the Lord. How deceitful the defence of the rich man, who has his portion and treasure in this world! It is a strong city and a high wall only in his own conceit; for it will fail when most in need. They will be exposed to the just wrath of that Judge whom they despised as a Saviour. 12. After the heart has been lifted up with pride, a fall comes. But honour shall be the reward of humility. 13. Eagerness, with self-conceit, will expose to shame. 14. Firmness of mind supports under many pains and trials. But when the conscience is tortured with remorse, no human fortitude can bear the misery; what then will hell be? 15. We must get knowledge, not only into our heads, but into our hearts. 16. Blessed be the Lord, who makes us welcome to come to his throne, without money and without price. May his gifts make room for him in our souls.

A fool's mouth is his destruction,.... The cause of it; for his contentions, and quarrels, and evil speaking, lawsuits are commenced against him, which bring ruin upon himself and his family now; as well as for his idle and wicked words he will be condemned hereafter, Matthew 12:35 ; there is a world of iniquity in the mouth and tongue of a wicked man, which bring destruction upon himself and others, James 3:6 ; and his lips are the snare of his soul; from speaking in his own defence, he says things which should not be said, and by which he is entangled yet more and more; he is caught by his own words and condemned by them; or his loquacity, in which he delights, is a snare unto him to say things which neither become him, nor are for his advantage, but the contrary; see Proverbs 12:13.

Verse 7. - The results of the fool's disposition and actions are further noted. A fool's mouth is his destruction (comp. Proverbs 10:15 ; Proverbs 13:9 ; Ecclesiastes 10:12 ). A mediaeval adage pronounces, "Ex lingua stulta veniunt incommoda multa." His lips are the snare of his soul; bring his life into danger (see on Proverbs 12:13; comp. Proverbs 13:14 ; Proverbs 14:27 ; Proverbs 17:28 ). So St. Luke ( Luke 21:35 ) speaks of the last day, coming upon men like "a snare ( παγίς )," the word used by the Septuagint in this passage. Proverbs 18:7

7 The mouth of the fool is to him destruction, And his lips are a snare to his soul. As Proverbs 18:6 corresponds to Proverbs 17:27 of the foregoing group, so this Proverbs 18:7 corresponds to Proverbs 17:28. Regarding מחתּה־לּו, vid., Proverbs 13:3. Instead of פי כּסיל, is to be written פּי־כסיל, according to Torath Emeth, p. 40, Cod. 1294, and old editions.

PROVERBS 18: 12 Before destruction the heart of man is proud, but before honour is humility. Verse 12 Before destruction - See on Proverbs 11:2 (note); Proverbs 16:18 (note). PROVERBS 18: 13 He who gives answer before he hears, that is folly and shame to him. Verse 13 He that answereth a matter - This is a common case; before a man can tell out his story, another will begin his. Before a man has made his response, the other wishes to confute piecemeal, though he has had his own speech already. This is foolishness to them. They are ill-bred. There are many also that give judgment before they hear the whole of the cause, and express an opinion before they hear the state of the case. How absurd, stupid, and foolish! PROVERBS 18: 14 A man’s spirit will sustain him in sickness, but a crushed spirit, who can bear? Verse 14 The spirit of a man will sustain - A man sustains the ills of his body, and the trials of life, by the strength and energy of his mind. But if the mind be scoundrel, if this be cast down, if slowconsuming care and grief have shot the dagger into the soul, what can then sustain the man? Nothing but the unseen God. Therefore, let the afflicted pray. A man's own spirit has, in general, sufficient fortitude to bear up under the unavoidable trials of life; but when the conscience is wounded by sin, and the soul is dying by iniquity, who can lift him up? God alone; for salvation is of the Lord. PROVERBS 18: 15 The heart of the discerning gets knowledge.

This is the more likely to be the true reading, because the figure of the heart propelling the blood through the great aorta, to send it to all parts of the animal system, is a favourite with Solomon, as it was with his father, David. See the note on Psalms 36:9; Proverbs 10:11, etc. PROVERBS 18: 5 To be partial to the faces of the wicked is not good, nor to deprive the innocent of justice. Verse 5 To accept the person of the wicked - We must not, in judicial cases, pay any attention to a man's riches, influence, friends, offices, etc., but judge the case according to its own merits. But when the wicked rich man opposes and oppresses the poor righteous, then all those things should be utterly forgotten. PROVERBS 18: 6 A fool’s lips come into strife, and his mouth invites beatings. PROVERBS 18: 7 A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are a snare to his soul. PROVERBS 18: 8 The words of a gossip are like dainty morsels: they go down into a person’s innermost parts. Verse 8 The words of a tale-bearer - ‫דברי‬ ‫נרגן‬ dibrey nirgan, "the words of the whisperer," the busy-body, the busy, meddling croaker. Verba bilinguis, "the words of the double-tongued." - Vulgate. The wordes of the twisel tunge - Old MS. Bible. "The words of a slanderer." - Coverdale. The words of a deceiver, the fair-spoken, deeply-malicious man, though they appear soft and gracious, are wounds deeply injurious. The original word is ‫כמתלהמים‬ kemithlahamim; they are as soft or simple, or undesigning

## Proverbs 18:6 A fool ’ s lips enter into contention; a fool by his rash and wicked speeches provoketh others to quarrel with him, and, as it follows, to strike him. ## His mouth calleth for strokes; procureth strokes to himself. Proverbs 18:7 No text from Poole on this verse. ## Proverbs