Proverbs 18:6

6 A fool's lips bring strife, And his mouth calls for ¹blows.

Proverbs 18:6 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 18:6

A fool's lips enter into contention
That is, between others, when he has nothing to do with it; but he must be meddling, and make himself a party in the contention, which is an argument of his folly; he says things which occasion disputes, raise contentions among men, and provoke to wrath and anger. The Septuagint version is, "the lips of a fool lead him to evils": for, as they lead him to contention and strife, the issue of that is confusion and every evil work; and his mouth calleth for strokes:
as he stirs up and encourages contention, so he proceeds to blows, and excites others to them; from words he goes to blows, and, by the ill and provoking language of his mouth, gets many a blow to himself. Jarchi seems to understand it of chastisement, from the hand of God; see ( Proverbs 26:3 ) .

Proverbs 18:6 In-Context

4 The words of a man's mouth are deep waters; The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.

5 To show partiality to the wicked is not good, Nor to thrust aside the righteous in judgment.

6 A fool's lips bring strife, And his mouth calls for blows.

7 A fool's mouth is his ruin, And his lips are the snare of his soul.

8 The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts of the body.

Cross References

• 1. Proverbs 19:29

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "come with"