A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are a snare to his soul.
Parallel Translations
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A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are a snare to his soul.
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A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.
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A fool's mouth is his ruin, and his lips are the snare of his soul.
Cross-references (12)
Passages linked to Proverbs 18:7 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Proverbs 13:3 He who guards his mouth guards his soul. One who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
- Proverbs 10:14 Wise men lay up knowledge, but the mouth of the foolish is near ruin.
- Proverbs 12:13 An evil man is trapped by sinfulness of lips, but the righteous shall come out of trouble.
- Psalms 64:8 Their own tongues shall ruin them. All who see them will shake their heads.
- Psalms 140:9 As for the head of those who surround me, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.
- Ecclesiastes 10:11-14 If the snake bites before it is charmed, then is there no profit for the charmer’s tongue. The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but a fool is swallowed by his own lips. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. A fool also multiplies words. Man doesn’t know what will be; and that which will be after him, who can tell him?
- Proverbs 6:2 you are trapped by the words of your mouth; you are ensnared with the words of your mouth.
- Proverbs 10:8 The wise in heart accept commandments, but a chattering fool will fall.
- Acts 23:14-22 They came to the chief priests and the elders, and said, “We have bound ourselves under a great curse to taste nothing until we have killed Paul. Now therefore, you with the council inform the commanding officer that he should bring him down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to judge his case more exactly. We are ready to kill him before he comes near.” But Paul’s sister’s son heard they were lying in wait, and he came and entered into the barracks and told Paul. Paul summoned one of the centurions, and said, “Bring this young man to the commanding officer, for he has something to tell him.” So he took him, and brought him to the commanding officer, and said, “Paul, the prisoner, summoned me and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you.” The commanding officer took him by the hand, and going aside, asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” He said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though intending to inquire somewhat more accurately concerning him. Therefore don’t yield to them, for more than forty men lie in wait for him, who have bound themselves under a curse to neither eat nor drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, looking for the promise from you.” So the commanding officer let the young man go, charging him, “Tell no one that you have revealed these things to me.”
- Judges 11:35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are one of those who trouble me; for I have opened my mouth to Yahweh, and I can’t go back.”
- Mark 6:23-28 He swore to her, “Whatever you shall ask of me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” She went out, and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?” She said, “The head of John the Baptizer.” She came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptizer on a platter.” The king was exceedingly sorry, but for the sake of his oaths, and of his dinner guests, he didn’t wish to refuse her. Immediately the king sent out a soldier of his guard, and commanded to bring John’s head, and he went and beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the young lady; and the young lady gave it to her mother.
- 1 Samuel 14:24-46 The men of Israel were distressed that day; for Saul had adjured the people, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food until it is evening, and I am avenged of my enemies.” So none of the people tasted food. All the people came into the forest; and there was honey on the ground. When the people had come to the forest, behold, honey was dripping, but no one put his hand to his mouth; for the people feared the oath. But Jonathan didn’t hear when his father commanded the people with the oath. Therefore he put out the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes brightened. Then one of the people answered, and said, “Your father directly commanded the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats food today.’ ” So the people were faint. Then Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. Please look how my eyes have brightened, because I tasted a little of this honey. How much more, if perhaps the people had eaten freely today of the plunder of their enemies which they found? For now there has been no great slaughter among the Philistines.” They struck the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. The people were very faint; and the people pounced on the plunder, and took sheep, cattle, and calves, and killed them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood. Then they told Saul, saying, “Behold, the people are sinning against Yahweh, in that they eat meat with the blood.” He said, “You have dealt treacherously. Roll a large stone to me today!” Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people, and tell them, ‘Every man bring me here his ox, and every man his sheep, and kill them here, and eat; and don’t sin against Yahweh in eating meat with the blood.’ ” All the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and killed them there. Saul built an altar to Yahweh. This was the first altar that he built to Yahweh. Saul said, “Let’s go down after the Philistines by night, and take plunder among them until the morning light, and let’s not leave a man of them.” They said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” Then the priest said, “Let’s draw near here to God.” Saul asked counsel of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But he didn’t answer him that day. Saul said, “Draw near here, all you chiefs of the people; and know and see in which this sin has been today. For, as Yahweh lives, who saves Israel, though it is in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” But there was not a man among all the people who answered him. Then he said to all Israel, “You be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side.” The people said to Saul, “Do what seems good to you.” Therefore Saul said to Yahweh, the God of Israel, “Show the right.” Jonathan and Saul were chosen, but the people escaped. Saul said, “Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son.” Jonathan was selected. Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done!” Jonathan told him, and said, “I certainly did taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand; and behold, I must die.” Saul said, “God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan.” The people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As Yahweh lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he has worked with God today!” So the people rescued Jonathan, that he didn’t die. Then Saul went up from following the Philistines; and the Philistines went to their own place.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (7 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Pro 18:7 A fool’s mouth [is] his destruction, and…
Pro 18:7 A fool’s mouth [is] his destruction, and his lips [are] the snare of his soul.
Ver. 7. A fool’s mouth is his destruction.] Pro 10:14; Pro 12:13; Pro 13:3 {See Trapp on "Pro 10:14"} {See Trapp on "Pro 12:13"} {See Trapp on "Pro 13:3"}
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain A fool's mouth is his destruction,.... The cause of…
A fool's mouth is his destruction,.... The cause of it; for his contentions, and quarrels, and evil speaking, lawsuits are commenced against him, which bring ruin upon himself and his family now; as well as for his idle and wicked words he will be condemned hereafter, Mat 12:35; there is a world of iniquity in the mouth and tongue of a wicked man, which bring destruction upon himself and others, Jam 3:6;
and his lips are the snare of his soul; from speaking in his own defence, he says things which should not be said, and by which he is entangled yet more and more; he is caught by his own words and condemned by them; or his loquacity, in which he delights, is a snare unto him to say things which neither become him, nor are for his advantage, but the contrary; see Pro 12:13.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 7. Snare of his soul — Or life. His…
7. Snare of his soul — Or life. His language endangers his life; and, in a higher sense, his soul also. Comp. Pro_10:14; Pro_13:3. For the figure snare, comp. Pro_2:13; Pro_13:14; Pro_14:27.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (7) A fool’s mouth is his destruction.—See above on…
(7) A fool’s mouth is his destruction.—See above on Pro_12:13.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain The results of the fool"s disposition and actions are…
The results of the fool"s disposition and actions are further noted. A fool"s mouth is his destruction. (comp. Pro_10:15 Pro_13:9 Ecc_10:12) A mediaeval adage pronounces, "Ex lingua stulta veniunt incommoda multa." His lips are the snare of his soul; bring his life into danger. (see on Pro_12:13; comp. Pro_13:14 Pro_14:27 Pro_17:28) So St. Luke (Luk_21:35) speaks of the last day, coming upon men like "a snare (pagiv )," the word used by the Septuagint in this passage.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain v. 7. A fool’s mouth, on account of his…
v. 7. A fool’s mouth, on account of his quarrelsome disposition, is his destruction, it brings ruin upon him, and his lips are the snare of his soul, his rash language causes trouble for himself.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 A fool's mouth ... with his lips
A fool's mouth ... with his lips
Both of these phrases refer to what a fool says. AT: "What a fool says ... by what he says" (See: Metonymy)
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is his ruin
"will ruin him"
he ensnares himself
This speaks of the man causing problems and trouble for himself as if he were trapping himself like a man traps an animal. AT: "he will cause problems for himself" (See: Metaphor)
The words of a gossip are like delicious morsels
This speaks of the words of a gossip being desirable to listen to as if they were delicious food to eat. AT: "The words of a gossip are desirable to listen to" or (See: Simile)
The words of a gossip
This refers to what a gossiping person says. AT: "The words that a gossiping person speaks" (See: Possession)
morsels
small bites of food
they go down into the inner parts of the body
This speaks of the words of a gossip going into a person's mind and affecting his thoughts as if they were food that was going into his stomach. AT: "and they enter a person's mind and affect his thoughts" (See: Metaphor)
translationWords
fool
ruin
word
gossip
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.