Commentary - Proverbs 15:23

Bird's-eye view

Proverbs 15:23 is a compact and elegant statement on the power and pleasure of wise communication. In just two parallel clauses, Solomon captures a profound truth about our created nature: we are verbal creatures who find deep satisfaction in speaking rightly. This proverb is not about the mere mechanics of speech, but about the moral and aesthetic quality of our words. It highlights two key aspects of godly conversation: the "apt answer" and the "timely word." The first deals with the content and skill of what is said, while the second deals with the crucial element of timing. Together, they form a picture of conversational righteousness. The central takeaway is that right speech is not a grim duty but a source of genuine gladness, a goodness that can be felt and appreciated. This joy is a gift from God, a fruit of wisdom that flows from a heart rightly oriented to Him.

This verse sits within the broader context of Proverbs, which consistently contrasts the speech of the wise with the speech of the fool. The fool's words bring strife, destruction, and sorrow, while the wise man's words bring healing, knowledge, and, as we see here, joy. Ultimately, this proverb points us to Christ, the Logos Himself, whose every word was perfectly apt and perfectly timely. Our own ability to find gladness in an apt answer is a dim reflection of the creative joy God has in His own Word, and it is a capacity that is restored and sanctified by the gospel.

Outline

Context In Proverbs

This proverb is located in a section of Solomon's proverbs (chapters 10-22) that consists primarily of short, two-clause antithetical or synonymous parallels. Chapter 15, in particular, contains numerous couplets contrasting the wise and the foolish, the righteous and the wicked, especially concerning their speech. For example, "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (15:1), and "The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly" (15:2). Verse 23 fits seamlessly into this pattern. It follows a verse about the failure of plans without counsel (15:22) and precedes a verse about the upward path of the prudent (15:24). The surrounding verses emphasize the importance of wisdom, counsel, and prudence, setting the stage for this specific commendation of skillful and timely speech as a hallmark of that wise life.

Key Issues

The Joy of Righteous Speech

In our therapeutic age, we tend to think of joy as a feeling that happens to us, an emotional state that we are entitled to pursue. But the Bible, and Proverbs in particular, presents joy as something more robust. It is often the byproduct of righteousness, the result of living in accordance with the grain of God's created order. This proverb is a prime example. A man "has gladness" not from navel-gazing or from the pursuit of self-esteem, but from doing something well, something righteous. Specifically, he finds joy in giving "an apt answer."

This is the joy of the craftsman. It is the satisfaction a carpenter feels when a joint fits perfectly, or the pleasure a musician takes in a well-played chord. God has made us verbal craftsmen. Our words are our tools, and with them we can build up or tear down (Eph 4:29). When, by God's grace and through the cultivation of wisdom, we use our words to build, to answer rightly, to bring clarity, to give sound counsel, or to defend the truth, there is a deep and abiding gladness that results. This is not selfish pride, but rather the legitimate pleasure of functioning as we were designed to function. It is a taste of the joy God Himself experiences in His own perfect speech, the Word by which He created and upholds all things.

Verse by Verse Commentary

23 A man has gladness in an apt answer,

The first clause focuses on the internal reward for righteous speech. The key phrase here is "apt answer." The Hebrew carries the idea of an answer that is fitting, appropriate, and skillful. It is the right word for the right situation. This is not just about being factually correct; it is about being rhetorically effective. An apt answer might be a clever defense, a gentle rebuke, a clear explanation, or a comforting encouragement. It is a word that hits the mark. When a man is able to produce such an answer, the result is "gladness." This is a deep-seated joy, a sense of satisfaction in a job well done. It is the opposite of the regret we feel when we say the wrong thing, when we put our foot in our mouth, or when we fail to speak up when we should have. This gladness comes from participating in God's ordered world in a constructive way. It is a fruit of wisdom, because only a wise man can consistently produce apt answers. He has to understand the situation, the people involved, and the truth of God's Word, and then bring them all together in a moment of verbal craftsmanship.

And how good is a timely word!

The second clause shifts the focus slightly from the internal gladness of the speaker to the objective quality of the word itself. The exclamation "how good is a timely word!" emphasizes its immense value. Here the crucial adjective is "timely," or "in its season." This brings in the indispensable element of timing. A word can be true, and it can even be apt in its content, but if it is delivered at the wrong time, it can be useless or even destructive. As Ecclesiastes tells us, there is "a time to be silent and a time to speak" (Eccl 3:7). Wisdom is not just knowing what to say, but when to say it. A word of rebuke might be necessary, but spoken in the heat of anger it will only provoke. A word of comfort might be needed, but offered glibly in the immediate aftermath of a tragedy it will sound hollow. A timely word, however, is like "apples of gold in a setting of silver" (Prov 25:11). It is beautiful, valuable, and perfectly suited to its moment. This goodness is something that can be appreciated by both the speaker and the hearer. It brings refreshment, clarity, and grace to a situation, and its value is incalculable.

Application

This proverb calls us to take our words seriously, not as a burden, but as a potential source of great joy and goodness. We live in a world drowning in words, careless words, angry words, foolish words, manipulative words. As Christians, we are called to be craftsmen of speech, cultivating the wisdom to know what to say and when to say it.

First, this requires us to fill our minds with the Word of God. An apt answer flows from a heart that is saturated with Scripture. We cannot give a godly answer if we do not know what God has said. Second, it requires us to be students of people and situations. We must learn to listen before we speak, to diagnose a situation before we offer a prescription. This is the opposite of the fool who "takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion" (Prov 18:2). Third, it requires humility. We must be willing to admit when we don't have an apt answer and be content to remain silent. We must also be willing to receive correction when our words are inept or untimely.

Most fundamentally, the pursuit of apt and timely speech should drive us to Christ. He is the Word made flesh. Every word He spoke was perfect in its content and its timing. He knew how to silence the Pharisees with an unanswerable question and how to sustain the weary with a gentle word. Our own speech is riddled with failures. We speak when we should be silent, and we are silent when we should speak. We give answers that are clumsy and words that are out of season. The good news of the gospel is that Christ's perfect record of speech is credited to us. And through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, our tongues, which are so often instruments of folly, can increasingly become instruments of righteousness, bringing gladness to our own hearts and goodness to the world around us.