Proverbs 18:6

6 What a foolish person says leads to arguing. He is just asking for a beating.

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 person's mouth are like deep water. But the fountain of wisdom is like a flowing stream.
5 It isn't good to favor those who do wrong. And it isn't good to hold back what is fair from those who aren't guilty.
6 What a foolish person says leads to arguing. He is just asking for a beating.
7 The words of a foolish person drag him down. He is trapped by what he says.
8 The words of anyone who talks about others are like tasty bites of food. They go deep down inside you.
Holy Bible, New International Reader's Version® Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica.   All rights reserved worldwide.