Commentary - Proverbs 18:4

Bird's-eye view

This proverb, like many in this book, uses parallelism to make its point, contrasting two kinds of speech. The first clause describes the words of just any man, which are opaque, mysterious, and potentially dangerous, like deep, still waters. You don't know what lurks in them. The second clause presents a sharp contrast: the speech that flows from a true fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook, clear, life-giving, and refreshing. The proverb is teaching us to distinguish between the murky depths of unregenerate human talk, which can hide anything, and the clear, vibrant stream of godly wisdom, which reveals and nourishes. It's a call to value wisdom not just as a set of ideas, but as a source of life that clarifies all of life, beginning with our own words.

Ultimately, this proverb points us to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the true fountain of wisdom, and His words are the flowing brook that gives life. All other human speech, apart from Him, remains "deep waters," full of hidden motives, pride, and folly. The gospel is the great clarifier. It takes the deep, dark waters of our sinful hearts and, through the wisdom of the cross, transforms them into a spring of living water welling up to eternal life. This proverb, then, is not just good advice about how to talk; it is a pointer to the source of all true and life-giving speech, the Word made flesh.

Outline

Context In Proverbs

Proverbs 18 is a collection of sayings that largely contrasts the wise man with the fool, particularly in the realm of social interactions. The chapter touches on themes of isolation (v. 1), the fool's delight in his own opinion (v. 2), the connection between wickedness and contempt (v. 3), and the power of words to bring life or death. Verse 4 fits squarely within this context, providing a vivid metaphor for the nature of words. It follows a warning about the shame that accompanies wickedness and precedes a warning about partiality in judgment (v. 5). The placement emphasizes that the kind of words a man speaks is a matter of righteousness and justice. The entire book of Proverbs is a training manual for a young man, teaching him how to navigate God's world in the fear of the Lord, and a central part of that navigation is learning to control the tongue and to discern the speech of others.

Key Issues

Deep and Flowing Words

The book of Proverbs is intensely practical. It is not a collection of abstract philosophical musings but is rather a divine instruction manual on how to live. And a massive part of living has to do with talking. Our words reveal what is in our hearts, as Jesus Himself taught (Matt. 12:34). This proverb gives us two images to help us diagnose the state of a man's heart by listening to his words.

The first image is one of depth, but it is not a complimentary depth. It is the depth of a quarry pit filled with stagnant water. It is deep, yes, but you cannot see the bottom. It might be a hundred feet deep or ten. There might be treasure down there, or rusty scrap metal, or a dead body. You simply cannot tell by looking. This is the natural state of man's speech. The second image is of a brook, a stream that is moving, bubbling, and clear. You can see the stones on the bottom. It is refreshing and life-giving. This is what words become when their source is the fountain of true wisdom, which is the fear of the Lord.

Verse by Verse Commentary

4a The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;

The proverb begins with a general statement about human speech. The words that come out of a man, any man in his natural state, are like deep waters. As noted above, this is not a compliment. This is not the depth of profundity, but the depth of obscurity. The human heart is deceitful above all things (Jer. 17:9), and so the words that flow from it are naturally murky. What does he really mean? What are his motives? What is he hiding? The unregenerate heart is a black box, and the words that come out of it are therefore suspect. They are deep in the sense that you cannot easily fathom their intent. This is why flattery is so dangerous, and why the fool's talk is a snare. You don't know what's at the bottom of it all. It is a warning to be cautious in our hearing. Do not be naive about the nature of human speech apart from God. It is deep, dark, and dangerous water.

4b The fountain of wisdom is a flowing brook.

The second clause provides the glorious contrast. When the source of a man's words is not his own deceitful heart but rather the fountain of wisdom, the nature of his speech is transformed. It is no longer a stagnant, murky pool, but a flowing brook. A flowing brook is clear; you can see to the bottom. It is active, alive, and moving. It is refreshing to those who are thirsty. This is what wise speech, godly speech, is like. It is transparent, honest, and life-giving. It doesn't hide motives because its motives are pure. It doesn't set traps because it seeks to build up. Where does this fountain of wisdom come from? Proverbs tells us again and again: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom" (Prov. 9:10). When a man fears God, he has access to a source outside of his own corrupt heart. God's Word and God's Spirit become the wellspring, the fountain, from which his words flow. His speech becomes clear, reliable, and a source of blessing to all who hear.

Application

This proverb forces us to ask two fundamental questions. First, what kind of words are coming out of my mouth? Are my words deep waters, leaving people to guess at my true meaning? Am I clever, guarded, and manipulative in my speech? Do I use words to hide what is in my heart? Or are my words a flowing brook? Am I straightforward, honest, and clear? Do my words refresh and give life to those who hear them? As Jesus said, we will give an account for every careless word we speak. Our speech is a primary indicator of our spiritual health. If you find that your words are consistently murky, it is a sign that you are drinking from the wrong fountain, your own sinful heart.

The second question is, where am I getting my water? The only way to turn deep, murky waters into a clear, flowing brook is to change the source. You cannot dredge the sinful heart and make it clean. You need a new source altogether. This is what the gospel provides. Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water'" (John 7:37-38). Jesus Christ is the fountain of wisdom. When we come to Him in repentance and faith, He gives us His Spirit, who becomes a new source of life within us. The application, then, is not simply to "try harder" to speak more clearly. The application is to flee to Christ. Drink deeply from Him, the fountain of all wisdom. Immerse yourself in His Word. And as you do, He will transform the deep, dark pool of your heart into a flowing brook that brings glory to God and life to the world.