Commentary - Proverbs 10:10

Bird's-eye view

This proverb, like many in this section of the book, is a crisp, two-part contrast that sets two kinds of destructive communication side-by-side. The first line deals with subtle, conspiratorial wickedness, the kind that uses non-verbal cues to signal malicious intent. The second line deals with overt, blustering foolishness, the kind that destroys through sheer verbal incontinence. Both paths lead to ruin, but they get there by different routes. One is the way of the cunning plotter, the other is the way of the witless babbler. The verse teaches us that sin is not just about the flagrant, obvious transgressions; it is also found in the colluding glance, the secret signal that sets a trap for another. And on the other hand, it reminds us that a fool does not need to be a cunning conspirator to cause immense damage; his own mouth is a sufficient wrecking ball for his life and the lives of those around him. Both the malicious wink and the babbling mouth spring from a corrupt heart, and both end in sorrow and ruin.

The structure is a classic example of Hebrew parallelism. The first clause describes a cause and its effect: the wink causes pain. The second clause describes a character and his destiny: the foolish talker comes to ruin. Together, they paint a picture of how words and even gestures have real-world, kinetic consequences. Sinful communication, whether covert or overt, brings grief and destruction. God is a God of truth and plain-dealing, and He has structured the world in such a way that the ways of deceit and foolishness ultimately self-destruct.

Outline

Context In Proverbs

Proverbs chapter 10 marks a significant shift in the book. The first nine chapters consist of longer, thematic discourses from a father to his son, personifying Wisdom and Folly as two women calling out for allegiance. But when we arrive at chapter 10, the style changes to the short, pithy, two-clause proverbs that characterize the bulk of the book. This section, running from 10:1 to 22:16, is titled "The Proverbs of Solomon." These are individual pearls of wisdom, often employing antithetical parallelism, where the second line contrasts with the first. Verse 10 fits perfectly within this structure. It follows a series of proverbs contrasting the righteous and the wicked, the wise and the foolish, particularly with regard to their speech (vv. 6, 8, 11, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21). This verse sharpens the focus, showing that communication is not limited to audible words. A wink, a gesture, can be as potent as a slanderous speech, while the speech of a fool is shown to be not just misguided, but self-immolating.

Key Issues

The Subtle and the Stupid

We have here two portraits of wickedness, and they ought not to be separated. We have the man who is clever in his malice, and the man who is clumsy in his. The first is the conspirator, the back-room dealer, the man who signals his intent to his co-conspirators with a knowing glance. He is setting someone up. He is baiting a trap. He is communicating, but he is doing it in a way that provides plausible deniability. "Who, me? I didn't say anything." But God sees the wink. God sees the secret signal that passes between thieves. This is the sin of calculated, intelligent malice.

The second portrait is that of the babbling fool. The Hebrew calls him an "ignorant fool of loose lips." He doesn't need a conspiracy. His mouth is a one-man demolition crew. He doesn't think before he speaks, during his speech, or after he is done. The words just pour out. He proclaims his folly to all (Prov. 12:23). He is not necessarily trying to cause pain in the same way the winker is; he is simply a fool, and destruction follows a fool the way a shadow follows a man. The proverb places these two side-by-side to teach us that God's judgment falls on the subtle sinner just as surely as it falls on the stupid one. Whether your sin is carefully planned or carelessly executed, the end is the same: grief and ruin.

Verse by Verse Commentary

10a He who winks the eye causes pain,

The "winking of the eye" is not a friendly or flirtatious gesture in this context. Throughout Scripture, it is a sign of secret plotting and malicious deceit (Psalm 35:19; Proverbs 6:13). It is the non-verbal cue of a conspirator. Imagine two men in a negotiation, and one subtly winks at his partner to signal that their intended victim is falling for the scam. It is a gesture that communicates volumes, but only to those in on the plot. It is inherently dishonest. And what is the result? It causes pain. The Hebrew word is for sorrow, grief, or trouble. This is not a harmless prank. This is the kind of deceit that wrecks lives, destroys businesses, and breaks relationships. The pain is the intended outcome of the plot signaled by the wink. The man who does this is a troublemaker, a man who delights in the sorrow of others, so long as he can bring it about without leaving fingerprints.

10b And an ignorant fool of loose lips will be ruined.

The second half of the verse pivots from the subtle plotter to the blathering idiot. The phrase "ignorant fool of loose lips" is a wonderfully descriptive rendering. He is a fool in his heart, and his lips are the proof. He doesn't know when to be quiet. He has no filter between his brain and his mouth. As Jesus taught, it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45), and this man's heart is a fountain of folly. While the winker brings pain to others, the fool's primary victim is himself. He will be ruined. The verb means to be cast down, to fall headlong. His own words trip him up. He talks himself into trouble. He makes promises he cannot keep, reveals secrets he was entrusted with, insults people he shouldn't, and generally sets his own life on fire with his tongue. The winker plots the downfall of another; the fool engineers his own, and his words are the blueprints and the dynamite.

Application

This proverb is a diagnostic tool for our own hearts and a guide for our communication. First, we must examine ourselves for the sin of the winker. Are there ways we use subtle communication, plausible deniability, or coded language to manipulate others or signal ungodly agreement? This is the sin of the passive-aggressive, the gossip who uses prayer requests to spread dirt, the man who uses innuendo to destroy a reputation. We must repent of all cleverness that is not grounded in godly wisdom. Our communication should be plain, honest, and transparent. Our yes should be yes, and our no, no. Anything more comes from the evil one.

Second, we must guard against being the fool of loose lips. In an age of social media, the temptation to be this fool is immense. We have countless platforms on which to proclaim our every unformed thought. But wisdom teaches restraint. "In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise" (Prov. 10:19). Before we speak, post, or text, we should ask if our words are true, if they are necessary, and if they are kind. A fool vents all his feelings; a wise man holds them back. The world does not need to know everything we are thinking, especially when what we are thinking is foolishness.

Ultimately, the only cure for both the malicious heart of the winker and the foolish heart of the babbler is the gospel. Christ is the Wisdom of God. He never winked in deceit; His every word and gesture was truth. And He was no fool; He knew when to speak and when to be silent before His accusers. On the cross, He took the judgment for all our deceitful winks and all our foolish words. He was "ruined" in our place so that we, by faith, could have our hearts transformed and our mouths redeemed. Through the power of His Spirit, the cunning plotter can learn to love honesty, and the babbling fool can learn the wisdom of a quiet tongue, so that our speech might bring healing, not pain, and build up, not tear down.