A just individual will speak with wisdom.

Our verse for today is one that in principle is taught by Jesus Christ when He said,

“For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words, thou shalt be condemned” (Matthew 12:37).

Words are vital for they expose the heart of a person.  Ultimately our words will justify us or condemn us.

“The mouth of the just”
The just man is the one with a right relationship with God.  He is not a perfect man in the sense of being “sinless.”  But he is a righteous man who walks with his God.  He lives for a greater cause than himself.  He loves his Lord.  He strives to do what is right.  He is careful with his words.

“Bringeth forth wisdom:”
Solomon’s word picture is of a just man’s mouth being like a good tree that germinates good fruit.  His mouth “brings forth wisdom,” it grows the fruit that blesses others.

“The speech of the good man is wise, that of the other is foolish.  The words of him whose intellect is under the teachings of God, and whose heart is in vital sympathy with Him, are wise words.”

“But the froward tongue.”
The perverse tongue belongs to a wicked man who has no relationship with God.  He lives only for himself.  To him, his words do not matter, and he says whatever he wants to speak at the moment.  Paul well describes the natural man’s talk,

“Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues, they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness” (Romans 3:13).

“Shall be cut out.”
And as the fruitless tree or the tree with lousy fruit is rooted out and cut off, so the perverse tongue will be rooted out and destroyed.

“The abuse of God’s gift of speech will lead ultimately to its forfeiture.  There shall, at last, be the silence of shame and confusion” (Barnes).

Believers let’s use God’s gift of speech carefully and wisely.  Let’s use our gift to praise and glorify Him and tell the lost the beautiful Gospel story.

1.  The Biblical Illustrator, the electronic version in eSword.
2.  Albert Barnes, Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword.