By the fruit of his lips, a man enjoys good things; but the unfaithful crave violence.
Parallel translations
- KJV A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat 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. The work of a man’s hands shall be rewarded to him.
- Prov 18:20A man’s stomach is filled with the fruit of his mouth. With the harvest of his lips he is satisfied.
- Prov 10:11The mouth of the righteous is a spring of life, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
- Ps 140:11An evil speaker won’t be established in the earth. Evil will hunt the violent man to overthrow him.
- Prov 1:31Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own schemes.
- Ps 75:8For in Yahweh’s hand there is a cup, full of foaming wine mixed with spices. He pours it out. Indeed the wicked of the earth drink and drink it to its very dregs.
- Prov 1:11–13If they say, “Come with us. Let’s lay in wait for blood. Let’s lurk secretly for the innocent without cause.
- Hab 2:17For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, and the destruction of the animals, which made them afraid; because of men’s blood, and for the violence done to the land, to every city and to those who dwell in them.
- Prov 4:17For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
- Hab 2:8Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples will plunder you, because of men’s blood, and for the violence done to the land, to the city and to all who dwell in it.
- Rev 16:6For they poured out the blood of the saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. They deserve this.”
- Jer 25:27–31“You shall tell them, ‘Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel says: “Drink, and be drunk, vomit, fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.”’
- Prov 1:18but these lay wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly 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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