Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Parallel translations
- WEB Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruit.
- KJV Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
- BSB Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
- NKJV Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
- NLT The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.
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
The tongue holds the power of life and death. Our words carry immense weight, and we will bear their consequences.
Overview
This well-known proverb declares that death and life are in the power of the tongue, and that those who indulge it will eat its fruit. Words can build up or destroy, bless or curse, and we are accountable for them. James develops this theme at length (James 3), and the gospel both warns of judgment for careless words (Matt. 12:36-37) and offers a renewed tongue that speaks grace through Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Eph 4:29Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear.
- Matt 12:35–37The good man out of his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings out evil things.
- Col 4:6Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
- Prov 10:19–21In the multitude of words there is no lack of disobedience, but he who restrains his lips does wisely.
- Jas 3:6–9And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by Gehenna.
- Prov 13:2–3By the fruit of his lips, a man enjoys good things; but the unfaithful crave violence.
- Prov 10:31The mouth of the righteous produces wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.
- Eccl 10:12–14The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but a fool is swallowed by his own lips.
- Prov 18:4–7The words of a man’s mouth are like deep waters. The fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook.
- Prov 12:13An evil man is trapped by sinfulness of lips, but the righteous shall come out of trouble.
- Isa 57:19I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him who is far off and to him who is near,” says Yahweh; “and I will heal them.”
- Prov 11:30The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life. He who is wise wins souls.
- 2 Pet 2:18For, uttering great swelling words of emptiness, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by licentiousness, those who are indeed escaping from those who live in error;
- Titus 1:10–11For there are also many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,
- Rom 10:14–15How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in him whom they have not heard? How will they hear without a preacher?
- 2 Cor 11:15It is no great thing therefore if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
- 2 Cor 2:16to the one a stench from death to death; to the other a sweet aroma from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?
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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 18:21 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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