A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence.
Parallel translations
- WEB By the fruit of his lips, a man enjoys good things; but the unfaithful crave violence.
- BSB From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things, but the desire of the faithless is violence.
- NKJV A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth, But the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence.
- NASB From the fruit of a person’s mouth he enjoys good, But the desire of the treacherous is violence.
- NLT Wise words will win you a good meal, but treacherous people have an appetite for violence.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
A person enjoys good from the fruit of his words, but the treacherous crave violence. Wholesome speech yields good; treachery hungers for harm.
Overview
The proverb teaches that good words bring good fruit to the speaker, while the unfaithful are driven by an appetite for violence. What we say and crave reveals and shapes us. The contrast commends life-giving speech and warns against a heart bent toward harm, calling us toward the truthful, gracious words befitting God's people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Prov 12:14A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth: and the recompence of a man’s hands shall be rendered unto him.
- Prov 18:20A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.
- Prov 10:11The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
- Ps 140:11Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.
- Prov 1:31Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
- Ps 75:8For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.
- Prov 1:11–13If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:
- Hab 2:17For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts, which made them afraid, because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.
- Prov 4:17For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
- Hab 2:8Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.
- Rev 16:6For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
- Jer 25:27–31Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.
- Prov 1:18And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 13:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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