One who withholds his words has knowledge, And one who has a cool spirit is a person of understanding.
Parallel translations
- WEB He who spares his words has knowledge. He who is even tempered is a man of understanding.
- KJV He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.
- BSB A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.
- NKJV He who has knowledge spares his words, And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.
- NLT A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered.
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
Restrained, calm speech marks a person of true knowledge and understanding. Wisdom shows itself in measured words and a cool spirit.
Overview
Sparing one's words and keeping an even temper are signs of knowledge and discernment, in contrast to the hasty and hot-tempered. The proverb commends self-control of both tongue and emotions as fruit of inner wisdom. James echoes this, urging believers to be slow to speak and slow to anger (James 1:19), a self-mastery that the Spirit produces in those conformed to Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Jas 3:18Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
- Jas 1:19So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger;
- Prov 10:19In the multitude of words there is no lack of disobedience, but he who restrains his lips does wisely.
- Prov 14:29He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a quick temper displays folly.
- Prov 15:28The heart of the righteous weighs answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes out evil.
- Jas 3:2For in many things we all stumble. If anyone doesn’t stumble in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also.
- Eccl 9:17The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules among fools.
- Prov 16:32One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; one who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 17:27 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.