Proverbs 21:23
in Proverbs 21He who guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from distress.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue Keepeth his soul from troubles.
KJV
Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.
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This verse in Proverbs 21
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Desert FathersThe Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks · Written before 500.
Pambo said to Antony, 'What shall I do?' Antony said, 'Do not trust in your own righteousness. Do not go on sorrowing over a deed that is past. Keep your tongue and your belly under control.'
This site's exposition
He who pursues righteousness and loving devotion
on Proverbs 21:21-23
"He who pursues righteousness and loving devotion finds life, righteousness, and honor," three rewards answering one pursuit, what the wandering man of verse 16 forfeited. A wise man scales the city of the mighty and pulls down its stronghold, wisdom pictured as a siege weapon stronger than defended walls.
This site's exposition
He who guards his mouth and tongue
The Desert Fathers record the counsel of a hermit to keep the tongue and the belly under control. The verse gives the reason for the tongue. Guarding it keeps the soul from distress.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
Desert FathersThe Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks · Written before 500.
proposed
Gregory said, 'God asks three things of anyone who is baptized: to keep the true faith with all his soul and all his might; to control his tongue; to be chaste in his body.'
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue,.... Guards the one and bridles the other; is careful of what he says, that it is truth, and without dissimulation and guile; and is not injurious to the characters of men, and is not offensive and provoking; who abstains from ill and wrathful language, and which tends to stir up wrath and contention.
The words behind it
6 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שֹׁמֵ֣ר | shomer | [one who] guards | H8104 → | 468 times |
| פִּ֭יו | piv | mouth his | H6310 → | 498 times |
| וּלְשׁוֹנ֑וֹ | uleshono | and tongue his | H3956 → | 117 times |
| שֹׁמֵ֖ר | shomer | [is] keeping | H8104 → | 468 times |
| מִצָּר֣וֹת | mitzarot | from troubles | H6869 → | 73 times |
| נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃ | nafsho | self his | H5315 → | 754 times |
שֹׁמֵ֣ר[one who] guards
shomerH8104 →468 times
פִּ֭יוmouth his
pivH6310 →498 times
וּלְשׁוֹנ֑וֹand tongue his
uleshonoH3956 →117 times
שֹׁמֵ֖ר[is] keeping
shomerH8104 →468 times
מִצָּר֣וֹתfrom troubles
mitzarotH6869 →73 times
נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃self his
nafshoH5315 →754 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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 18:21Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
it leads to
- Ephesians 4:29
Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 12:35–37
The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure.
- Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
- Proverbs 10:19–21
When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.
- James 3:6–9
The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on…
- Ephesians 4:29
Through
Proverbs 13:3He who guards his mouth protects his life, but the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin.
it leads to
- Proverbs 18:21
Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
- Proverbs 18:7
A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul.
- Proverbs 18:21
Through
James 1:26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.
it leads to
- Psalms 141:3
Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips.
- Psalms 141:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Proverbs
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Desert Fathers, The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.