“The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.”
Proverbs 10:11
The Righteous Mouth: A Fountain of Life
The proverbs frequently include vivid imagery to help teach a point.
The imagery used in this passage is of a “fountain of life” and it describes the life-giving nature of the words spoken by the righteous.
A fountain provides the water the quenches thirst and sustains life. The words of the righteousness have the power to build and to uplift those around them.
But beyond mere encouragement, the words of the righteous must also address evil with boldness.
The righteous person’s words are not empty platitudes – they actually mean something and teach valuable lessons.
The righteous don’t pollute the air with empty, mindless words.
Their speech is seasoned with salt, giving grace to those who hear (Colossians 4:6).
The Wicked Mouth: Concealing Violence
In contrast, the proverb warns that “the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.“
While the righteous speak life, the wicked use their words as instruments of destruction.
The wicked attempt to hide their intentions behind smooth words and flattering speech, but their words ultimately reveal the darkness that lives within their minds.
The Impact of Speech
Proverbs 10:11 teaches us that our words carry heavy weight and can have far-reaching consequences.
The words we speak have the ability to either breathe life into those around us or to deal wounds that may take years to heal.
The book of James repeats this idea in the New Testament that the tongue is like a small fire that can set a great forest on fire (James 3:5).
Our words have the power to build up or tear down, to encourage or discourage, to bring healing or cause harm.
Guarding Our Speech
Therefore, it’s imperative for us to exercise control in our speech.
We must be intentional about allowing only words that are positive, truthful, and life-giving to pass our lips – but also not missing the opportunity to boldly address evil and sin.
This requires a constant vigilance over our minds, for as Jesus taught, “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34).
Our words will reflect what is kept in our minds.
