Bird's-eye view
This proverb, like so many others, sets before us the stark contrast between the wise and the foolish, and it does so by focusing on the primary instrument of our influence in the world: the tongue. The issue is not simply the content of our speech, but the manner and effect of it. Wisdom is not just about having the right facts in your head; it is about the skill of applying those facts in a way that is fitting, beautiful, and beneficial. A wise man makes truth attractive. The fool, on the other hand, may have a head full of notions, but what comes out of his mouth is a chaotic, destructive mess. His speech is not a well-aimed arrow but a gush of folly from an un-governed heart. This verse is a diagnostic tool for the heart, because what fills the well of the heart will inevitably come up in the bucket of the mouth.
At the center of this contrast is the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom. The wise man speaks in a way that adorns the truth because he knows he is speaking before the face of God. The fool pours forth folly because he has no regard for God and is therefore enslaved to his own untamed passions and opinions. Ultimately, the perfect embodiment of the wise tongue is the Lord Jesus Christ, whose words were full of grace and truth, and the ultimate source of all foolish speech is the father of lies, who pours forth nothing but rebellion and death.
Outline
- 1. The Two Tongues (Prov 15:2)
- a. The Embellishment of Wisdom (Prov 15:2a)
- b. The Eruption of Folly (Prov 15:2b)
Context In Proverbs
Proverbs 15 is a chapter dense with antithetical parallelism, constantly placing the way of the wise in sharp relief against the way of the fool. The chapter opens with the contrast between a soft answer and a harsh word (Prov 15:1), immediately establishing the theme of speech. Our verse, verse 2, continues this theme directly. The surrounding verses deal with God's omniscience (Prov 15:3), the power of the tongue to be a tree of life or to break the spirit (Prov 15:4), and the response of the wise versus the fool to discipline (Prov 15:5). The entire section is a tightly woven tapestry illustrating that our words are never neutral. They are either instruments of wisdom, building up the world in righteousness, or they are weapons of folly, tearing it down. This verse is a central pillar in the Bible's doctrine of speech, reminding us that how we say something is inseparable from what we are saying.
Key Issues
- The Nature of Biblical Wisdom
- The Heart-Mouth Connection
- The Aesthetics of Righteousness
- The Character of the Fool
- The Power of Speech
The Mouth as a Fountain
The Bible frequently uses the metaphor of a fountain or a spring to describe the mouth. James asks how a spring can bring forth both fresh and salt water (James 3:11-12). Jesus says that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matt 12:34). This proverb operates with the same understanding. The mouth is not an isolated member; it is the spout of the heart. What is inside is what comes out.
Therefore, this proverb is not giving us a lesson in public speaking or rhetoric as a mere external skill. It is not about learning a few tricks to make your knowledge "look good." It is a lesson in heart surgery. The wise man speaks well because he has a wise heart, a heart that has been shaped and disciplined by the fear of God. The fool pours forth, or gushes, or vomits folly because his heart is a cauldron of foolishness. If you want to change the water coming out of the tap, you don't paint the spigot. You have to deal with the water source. If you want to change your speech, you must begin by asking God to change your heart.
Verse by Verse Commentary
2a The tongue of the wise makes knowledge look good,
The Hebrew word here for "makes look good" is yatib, which carries the sense of making something pleasant, acceptable, or beautiful. Wisdom is not just about possessing knowledge, but about presenting it skillfully. A wise man knows that truth without grace is often received as an attack. He understands timing, tone, and audience. He can take a hard truth and communicate it in a way that, even if it stings, its rightness and goodness are apparent. He adorns the doctrine. Think of a master chef. He takes good ingredients, knowledge, and prepares them in such a way that the meal is not only nutritious but also a delight to the senses. The wise man is a chef with his words; he makes truth palatable. This is not about sugar-coating the truth or compromising it. It is about loving your neighbor enough to present the truth in the most winsome and effective way possible. It is about making the inherent goodness of God's truth shine forth.
2b But the mouth of fools pours forth folly.
The contrast could not be more stark. The word for "pours forth" is yabia, which means to bubble up, to gush, or even to vomit. There is no skill here, no consideration, no artistry. The fool's mouth is like an open sewer. Whatever foolish, proud, angry, or lustful thought arises in his heart comes gushing out without a filter. He is not adorning anything; he is polluting everything. Notice the text says the mouth of fools, in the plural. This is a class of people. And what do they pour out? Folly. The word is iwweleth, which refers to a moral and spiritual stupidity, a perverse foolishness that is hostile to God. The fool does not just make mistakes in his speech; his speech is the very essence of his rebellion. He does not need a speech coach; he needs a new heart. His problem is not a lack of polish, but a profound lack of righteousness.
Application
This proverb forces us to be auditors of our own speech. What comes out of your mouth? Is it carefully crafted to make the knowledge of God beautiful and desirable? Or is it a careless gushing of your own opinions, frustrations, and half-baked ideas? The difference between the two is the difference between wisdom and folly, life and death.
For the Christian, this verse points us in two directions. First, it points us to our own sin. We have all had the fool's mouth. We have poured forth folly in anger, pride, and selfishness. We have taken the glorious knowledge of God and made it ugly by our graceless presentation. We need to confess this and repent. We need to cry out to God to set a guard over our mouths (Psalm 141:3).
Second, and most importantly, it points us to Christ. He is the ultimate wise man whose tongue made knowledge beautiful. People marveled at the gracious words that came from His lips (Luke 4:22). He knew how to speak a word in season to the weary. He knew how to adorn the truth of God's kingdom. And on the cross, He took upon Himself the judgment for all our foolish words, all the filth we have poured forth. He drank the cup of God's wrath so that the foul spring of our hearts could be made clean. Through faith in Him, we are not only forgiven for our foolish speech, but we are given the Holy Spirit, who begins the work of transforming our foolish hearts into wise ones. The goal of the Christian life is to have our speech become more and more like Christ's, so that we too, by His grace, might make the knowledge of God look good to a world that desperately needs it.