Bird's-eye view
This proverb, like so many in the book, sets before us two paths, two kinds of people, and two ultimate outcomes, all revolving around the use of the tongue. The contrast is stark and absolute. On the one hand, you have the fool whose words are a weapon, causing deep and painful wounds. On the other, you have the wise man whose words are a medicine, bringing health and restoration. This is not a description of two different communication techniques that one might learn at a seminar. Rather, it is an X-ray of two different hearts. As Jesus taught, the mouth speaks out of the abundance of the heart. A heart full of pride, bitterness, and folly will inevitably produce words that slash and tear. A heart transformed by wisdom, which is to say, a heart submitted to the fear of the Lord, will produce words that bind up wounds and bring life. The proverb forces us to ask a diagnostic question of our own speech: when we are done talking, do people need a bandage or a breath of fresh air?
The central theme is the immense power resident in human speech. Words are not neutral puffs of air; they are creative or destructive forces. They can plunge a person into despair or lift them into the joy of salvation. They can sever relationships or they can knit them together. Solomon is teaching his son, and us, that mastery of the tongue is not a peripheral aspect of the godly life; it is central to it. To be wise is to have a tongue that heals. To be a fool is to have a mouth that is a loaded gun with the safety off.
Outline
- 1. The Tongue as a Weapon and a Medicine (Prov 12:18)
- a. The Fool's Sword: Rash and Piercing Words (Prov 12:18a)
- b. The Wise Man's Salve: Healing and Wholesome Speech (Prov 12:18b)
Context In Proverbs
Proverbs 12 is situated in the first major collection of the "Proverbs of Solomon" (Prov. 10:1-22:16). This section is characterized by short, two-clause antithetical proverbs, where the second line stands in sharp contrast to the first. Verse 18 is a classic example of this form. It follows a series of other proverbs contrasting the righteous and the wicked, the wise and the foolish, particularly with respect to their speech. For instance, verse 17 says, "He who speaks truth tells what is right, But a false witness, deceit." Verse 19 continues the theme: "The lip of truth shall be established forever, But a lying tongue is but for a moment." So, our verse is embedded in a rich context that repeatedly emphasizes the moral and practical consequences of our words. The book of Proverbs as a whole is a manual for skillful living in God's world, and it consistently identifies the tongue as one of the primary instruments for either building a life of wisdom and blessing or demolishing it in folly and ruin.
Key Issues
- The Power of Words
- The Connection Between the Heart and the Mouth
- The Nature of Foolish Speech (Rashness)
- The Character of Wise Speech (Healing)
- The Tongue as a Diagnostic Tool for Spirituality
Swords and Scalpels
The book of Proverbs is intensely practical. It is not a collection of abstract philosophical musings, but rather a toolbox for living. And one of the most important tools it addresses is the tongue. James tells us that the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity, capable of setting the whole course of nature on fire, being itself set on fire by hell (James 3:6). Solomon, centuries earlier, understood the same principle. Words have weight. Words do things. They are not just sounds; they are forces.
This proverb presents the two options with battlefield clarity. Your words can be like the thrusts of a sword, or they can be an agent of healing. Notice the active nature of both descriptions. The rash speaker is not just clumsy; he is actively piercing people. The wise speaker is not just placid; he is actively bringing health. There is no neutral ground in our conversations. Our words are either instruments of warfare against our neighbor or instruments of grace for our neighbor. Every time we open our mouths, we are choosing between a sword and a surgeon's scalpel. One is used to kill, the other to cut away disease and bring life. The difference is not in the sharpness of the instrument, but in the heart and skill of the one who wields it.
Verse by Verse Commentary
18a There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword,
The first character described is the fool, though the word is not used here. His identifying characteristic is that he speaks rashly. The Hebrew word here implies babbling, blurting things out without thought or consideration. This is not a person who has carefully weighed his words and decided to be cruel. That is a different kind of wickedness. This is the man whose mouth is disconnected from his brain, and consequently, from a heart of wisdom. He just lets fly with whatever comes to mind: the uncharitable assumption, the cutting joke, the impatient snap, the ill-timed criticism. He is the bull in the china shop of human relationships.
And the effect of his speech is devastating. It is like the thrusts of a sword. This is not a paper cut. A sword thrust is a deep, piercing, potentially fatal wound. This is exactly what rash words do. They pierce the heart of the hearer. A thoughtless comment about someone's appearance can create an insecurity that lasts a lifetime. A harsh word to a child can crush his spirit. A piece of gossip can assassinate a reputation. The rash speaker leaves a trail of wounded people behind him, and often seems blissfully unaware of the carnage. He says, "I was just kidding," or "I was just being honest," failing to realize that his "honesty" was a sword thrust, not a healing balm.
18b But the tongue of the wise brings healing.
The contrast could not be more complete. The wise do not speak rashly. As other proverbs teach, they are slow to speak (Prov. 17:27), they ponder how to answer (Prov. 15:28). Their words are not random and chaotic; they are governed by wisdom, which is rooted in the fear of the Lord. And because their words flow from a different source, they have a different effect. The tongue of the wise brings healing.
The word for healing here is the common Hebrew word for health or medicine. Wise words are a spiritual pharmacy. They are the right medicine for the right ailment. For the discouraged, the wise tongue brings a word of encouragement that is like a dose of strength. For the sinner caught in a fault, it brings a gentle word of restoration (Gal. 6:1). For the anxious, it brings a good word that makes the heart glad (Prov. 12:25). For the confused, it brings clarity and counsel. The wise man's words do not pierce and wound; they soothe and mend. They are the antidote to the poison of the fool's tongue. Where the fool tears down, the wise man builds up. This healing speech is not a matter of natural temperament; it is a fruit of the Spirit, a product of a heart that has been healed by the ultimate Word from God, Jesus Christ.
Application
This proverb should drive us to a serious self-examination of our own speech. We need to get beyond our intentions and evaluate the actual effect of our words. It is not enough to say, "I didn't mean to hurt anyone." The fool with the sword doesn't necessarily "mean" to hurt anyone either, but the person he stabs is just as wounded. We must ask the hard questions. Do people feel safe in conversation with us? Do they come to us when they are hurting, knowing they will find a healing word? Or do they walk on eggshells around us, afraid of our next "rash" comment?
The solution to a sword-like tongue is not simply to talk less, though that is often a good start. The ultimate solution is a heart transplant, which is something only God can perform. The gospel is the story of how God dealt with our rash, foolish, and wicked words. All our sword-thrusts against God and our neighbor were gathered together and plunged into the heart of Jesus on the cross. He absorbed the full, fatal blow of our sinful speech. And in return, He gives us His Spirit and writes His law on our hearts. He takes our foolish, corrupt hearts and gives us hearts of wisdom.
Therefore, the path to a healing tongue is the path of deeper repentance and deeper faith. We must confess the sins of our lips, acknowledging the real wounds we have caused. And we must look to Christ, the one whose words are ultimate healing. He spoke, and worlds came into being. He speaks to us in His Word, and our dead souls are made alive. He speaks a word of pardon, and our guilt is gone. As we fill our hearts and minds with His words, our own words will begin to change. They will cease to be swords and will become instruments of grace, bringing the healing of the gospel to a world full of wounds.