Proverbs 10:19

December 5, 2023

“In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.”

This passage of Scripture out of the book of Proverbs was written by King Solomon, one of the wisest kings to ever live. He was given extraordinary wisdom by the Lord because he humbly asked for it. When analyzing chapter ten we can see that it is full of Proverbs that give us a contrast between a righteous man versus a wicked man.

For example:

Proverbs 10:2 “Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death.”

Proverbs 10:3 “The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish, but He casts away the desire of the wicked.”

Proverbs 10:7 “The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot.”

Proverbs 10:8 “The wise in heart will receive commands, but a prating fool will fall.”

These Proverbs of Solomon disclose what the Lord has to say about a person that follows His commandments versus following the ways of the World. As you can plainly see, the wicked profit nothing, they are guaranteed to be cast away, their name will rot, and they are destined to fall. The wise man on the other hand wanting to follow the will of God can expect to be delivered from death, their soul will never famish, and their memory will be blessed because they are willing to obey the commandments of the Lord.

One thing that we need to fully understand is that the Lord takes His Word very seriously. So much so that He puts His word even above His own Name, Psalm 138:2. That is why it is vital that we study the Holy Bible, digest it, and apply it to our daily lives. We need to know what God is saying to us through the Scriptures when it comes to living a victorious life as believers of Jesus Christ.

The book of Proverbs is filled with so much wisdom including stipulations and commands that the Lord is expecting us to obey. One thing that we know beyond a shadow of a doubt is that the Lord exposes the fact that the wicked will not prevail due to their lack of obedience. The Blessing of the Lord will be poured out when your way of life aligns with His Word.

Now that we have an idea of what chapter ten out of the book of Proverbs is disclosing to us, let’s take a look at the primary passage of Scripture that I want to highlight. The words “in the multitude” being used is the Hebrew word “rōḇ” which means: multitude, abundance, and greatness. The word “sin” being used is the Hebrew word “peša” which means: transgression, rebellion. The word “lacking” being used is the Hebrew word “ḥāḏal” which means: cease, come to an end.

So when we piece together this first part of the Scripture we can determine that Solomon is telling us that the mouth of the wicked pours out an abundance of words. A wise person chooses the number of words that they use sensibly. He is telling us to expect rebellion to follow you when you have a perverse tongue that is not tamed.

This is particularly the case when you are talking to someone that is trying to deliberately get a rise out of you. Evil things can come out of your mouth when you don’t know how to tame your tongue. A lack of wisdom when it comes to spiritual things will get you in trouble when it comes to the words that come out of your mouth.

We can never forget that the power of the tongue is not to be taken lightly. Proverbs 18:21 explains it perfectly when it states, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” You can literally speak life or you can speak death based on the verbiage that you are choosing. A lot of Christians don’t truly understand the significance of this spiritual law.

More Scriptures that disclose the importance of choosing your words wisely include:

Ecclesiastes 5:3 “For a dream comes through much activity, and a fool’s voice is known by his many words.”

Ecclesiastes 10:13 “The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.”

Proverbs 10:21 “The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of wisdom.”

Proverbs 15:1-2 “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.”

These are just some examples out of the Word of God pertaining to the difference between a wise person knowing the right time to stop talking versus one that wants to go on and on with what they are saying. If you allow yourself to be led by the Holy Spirit, He will put a check in your spirit if you are saying the wrong thing leading your conversation in the wrong direction.

Now let’s take a closer look at the last part of this verse of Scripture that I am highlighting “…but he who restrains his lips is wise.” The words “he who restrains” being used is the Hebrew word “ḥāśaḵ” which means: to withhold, keep back, keep for oneself, keep from, hold in check, refrain, spare, reserve. The word “wise” being used is the Hebrew word “śāḵal” which means: act circumspectly (vigilantly), act prudently, act wisely.

So when we dissect what King Solomon is trying to tell us through God’s Word we can determine that a person that is able to hold their tongue from wanting to: snap back, clap back, and talk back is wise. The ability to have a soft answer when someone is coming at you crazy requires restraint. A wise son or daughter that is walking in the fear of the Lord is able to refrain from using harmful words in all situations.

A foolish son or daughter that doesn’t care whether or not they are grieving the Lord will say the wrong thing and not think twice about it. They don’t even realize that a lot of words that they are using are negative because it is a way of life for them. I think back to when I first got saved and my mouth was filled with profanity and vulgarity. That was one of the first things that the Lord had to deal with me about.

I had to understand that there is power in words and I was opening doors for the enemy to come right on into my life simply by the verbiage that I was using. The Lord let me see through His Word that the lips of the righteous feed their spirit and the mouth of the wicked feeds their flesh.

You can see the Apostle Paul give this example in the New Testament Galatians 6:8, “For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” It is so important as believers of Jesus Christ that we represent Him the right way and that includes the way that we act, the way that we talk, and the way that we present ourselves.

Be the type of person that shines His amazing light in the midst of darkness. It is easy to retaliate and try to get back at people when they have done something wrong in your eyes but it takes so much more strength to hold your tongue and let the Lord fight the battle for you because He will!

Also, don’t forget to check out my other blogs:

Who is the Prophet Isaiah

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Fight Back

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Feed Your Spirit

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Renouncing