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Proverbs 18:20

in Proverbs 18

From the fruit of his mouth a man’s belly is filled; with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

A man’s belly shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth; With the increase of his lips shall he be satisfied.

KJV

A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.

This verse in Proverbs 18

Commentary

4 notes on this verse

This site's exposition

From the fruit of his mouth

on Proverbs 18:20-21

A man's belly is filled from the fruit of his mouth, so he is satisfied or starved by what he has said. The next verse states the principle: "Life and death are in the power of the tongue," and those who love it will eat its fruit.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

With the fruit of his mouth - Our own words frequently shape our good or evil fortune in life.
The general sense is plain. A man must for good or evil take the consequence of his words, as well as his deeds. Compare the marginal reference.

The words behind it

8 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • מִפְּרִ֣יfrom [the] fruit of

    miperiH6529 →119 times

  • פִי־[the] mouth of

    fi-H6310 →498 times

  • אִ֭ישׁa person

    ʾishH376 →1663 times

  • תִּשְׂבַּ֣עit is satisfied

    tisba'H7646 →97 times

  • בִּטְנ֑וֹbelly his

    bitnoH990 →72 times

  • תְּבוּאַ֖ת[the] produce of

    tevuatH8393 →42 times

  • שְׂפָתָ֣יוlips his

    sefatavH8193 →176 times

  • יִשְׂבָּֽע׃he is satisfied

    yisba'H7646 →97 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Proverbs 13:2

    From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things, but the desire of the faithless is violence.

    it leads to

    • Proverbs 12:14

      By fruitful speech a man is filled with good things, and the work of his hands returns to him.

    • Proverbs 10:11

      The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

    • Psalms 140:11

      May no slanderer be established in the land; may calamity hunt down the man of violence.

    • Proverbs 1:31

      So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

  • Through

    Proverbs 22:18

    for it is pleasing when you keep them within you and they are constantly on your lips.

    it leads to

    • Jeremiah 15:16

      Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became my joy and my heart’s delight. For I bear Your name, O LORD God of Hosts.

    • Proverbs 8:6

      Listen, for I speak of noble things, and the opening of my lips will reveal right.

  • Through

    Proverbs 22:21

    to show you true and reliable words, that you may soundly answer those who sent you?

    it leads to

    • 1 Peter 3:15

      But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But respond with gentleness and…

    • Luke 1:3–4

      Therefore, having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,

Where this verse is studied

About Proverbs

The Judgment of Solomon, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Judgment of Solomon, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.