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Monday, August 25th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Bishop's Bible

Proverbs 12:18

A slaunderous person pricketh lyke a sworde: but a wise mans tongue is wholsome.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Speaking;   Thompson Chain Reference - Evil;   Silence-Speech;   Speaking, Evil;   Speech;   The Topic Concordance - Health;   Speech/communication;   Wisdom;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Slander;   Sword, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Tongue;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Sword;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Arms and Armor;   Health;   Proverbs, Book of;   Sword;   Tongue;   Word;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Health;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Sword;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Tongue;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Health;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Dagesh;   Wisdom;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for July 6;   Every Day Light - Devotion for February 3;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
There is one who speaks rashly,like a piercing sword;but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Hebrew Names Version
There is one who speaks rashly like the piercing of a sword, But the tongue of the wise heals.
King James Version
There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.
English Standard Version
There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
New American Standard Bible
There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings healing.
New Century Version
Careless words stab like a sword, but wise words bring healing.
New English Translation
Speaking recklessly is like the thrusts of a sword, but the words of the wise bring healing.
Amplified Bible
There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings healing.
World English Bible
There is one who speaks rashly like the piercing of a sword, But the tongue of the wise heals.
Geneva Bible (1587)
There is that speaketh wordes like the prickings of a sworde: but the tongue of wise men is health.
Legacy Standard Bible
There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword,But the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Berean Standard Bible
Speaking rashly is like a piercing sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Contemporary English Version
Sharp words cut like a sword, but words of wisdom heal.
Complete Jewish Bible
Idle talk can pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise can heal.
Darby Translation
There is that babbleth like the piercings of a sword; but the tongue of the wise is health.
Easy-to-Read Version
Speak without thinking, and your words can cut like a knife. Be wise, and your words can heal.
George Lamsa Translation
There are those whose speech is like the piercing of a sword; but the tongue of the wise heals.
Good News Translation
Thoughtless words can wound as deeply as any sword, but wisely spoken words can heal.
Lexham English Bible
There is one who speaks rashly, like the thrust of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Literal Translation
There is a rash speaking like thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise is healing.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
A slaunderous personne pricketh like a swerde, but a wyse mans tonge is wholsome.
American Standard Version
There is that speaketh rashly like the piercings of a sword; But the tongue of the wise is health.
Bible in Basic English
There are some whose uncontrolled talk is like the wounds of a sword, but the tongue of the wise makes one well again.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword; but the tongue of the wise is health.
King James Version (1611)
There is that speaketh like the pearcings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Some wound as they speak, like swords; but the tongues of the wise heal.
English Revised Version
There is that speaketh rashly like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
A man is that bihetith, and he is prickid as with the swerd of conscience; but the tunge of wise men is helthe.
Update Bible Version
There is one who speaks rashly like the piercings of a sword; But the tongue of the wise is health.
Webster's Bible Translation
There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise [is] health.
New King James Version
There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health.
New Living Translation
Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing.
New Life Bible
There is one whose foolish words cut like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
New Revised Standard
Rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
There is who babbleth, as with thrusts of a sword, but, the tongue of the wise, hath healing.
Douay-Rheims Bible
There is that promiseth, and is pricked as it were with a sword of conscience: but the tongue of the wise is health.
Revised Standard Version
There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Young's Literal Translation
A rash speaker is like piercings of a sword, And the tongue of the wise is healing.
THE MESSAGE
Rash language cuts and maims, but there is healing in the words of the wise.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Contextual Overview

18 A slaunderous person pricketh lyke a sworde: but a wise mans tongue is wholsome.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

that: Proverbs 25:18, Psalms 52:2, Psalms 57:4, Psalms 59:7, Psalms 64:3, James 3:6-8

like: Compare, Revelation 1:16

but: Proverbs 10:20, Proverbs 10:21, Proverbs 13:17, Proverbs 15:7, Proverbs 16:24, Daniel 11:33, Revelation 22:2

Reciprocal: Genesis 34:13 - deceitfully Job 4:4 - upholden Job 5:21 - be hid Job 6:25 - forcible Job 19:2 - break me Psalms 42:10 - As with Psalms 55:21 - The words Psalms 140:3 - sharpened Proverbs 4:22 - health Proverbs 10:32 - but Proverbs 12:25 - but Proverbs 15:4 - A wholesome Proverbs 18:8 - words Proverbs 30:14 - whose Proverbs 31:26 - in her Ecclesiastes 10:12 - words Luke 6:45 - good man John 8:7 - and said Romans 6:13 - and your James 3:5 - so

Cross-References

Genesis 3:13
And the Lord God sayd vnto the woman: Why hast thou done this? And the woman sayde: the serpent begyled me, and I dyd eate.
Genesis 4:10
And he sayde: What hast thou done? the voyce of thy brothers blood cryeth vnto me out of the grounde.
Genesis 12:9
And Abram toke his iourney, goyng and iourneying towarde the south.
Genesis 12:10
[And] the there was a famine in that lande, and therfore went Abram downe into Egypt, that he myght soiourne there, for there was a greeuons famine in the lande.
Genesis 12:11
And when he was come neare to enter into Egypt, he sayde vnto Sarai his wife: beholde, I knowe that thou art a fayre woman to loke vpon:
Genesis 31:26
And Laban said to Iacob: what hast thou done? for thou hast stollen away my heart, and caryed away my daughters as though they had ben taken captiue with the sworde.
Genesis 44:15
And Ioseph sayde vnto them: what deede is this that ye haue done? Wote ye not that suche a man as I do consult with propheciers?
Exodus 32:21
And Moyses said vnto Aaron: What did this people vnto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sinne vpon them?
Joshua 7:19
And Iosuah sayde vnto Achan: My sonne, I beseche thee geue glorie to the Lorde God of Israel, and make confession vnto him, and shewe me what thou hast done, hyde it not from me.
1 Samuel 14:43
Then Saul saide to Ionathan: Tell me what thou hast done. And Ionathan tolde him, and sayde: I tasted a litle honie with the ende of the rod that was in myne hand, & lo, I must dye.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword,.... Whose words are like sharp swords, cutting, wounding, dividing, killing; see Psalms 57:4; such are the words of false witnesses, who by their false testimonies and perjuries are as guilty of the murder of men as cutthroats; such are the words of slanderers, backbiters, and talebearers, who grieve the innocent, wound their characters, destroy their good name and credit, and separate chief friends; and such are the words of antichrist, who looks like a lamb, but speaks like a dragon, Revelation 13:11;

but the tongue of the wise [is] health; or "healing" e; by giving a faithful testimony which sets matters right; by clearing and defending the character of those who are falsely accused and wrongfully charged; by making up differences, and reconciling persons at variance through the detracting and lying insinuations of others; and by speaking comfortable, cheerful, and refreshing words to the injured and abused; especially the tongue of a wise minister of the Gospel is health, or healing, to wounded souls, to whom he ministers the Gospel of the grace of God, which directs to Christ for healing, peace, pardon, righteousness, and eternal life.

e מרפא "medicinae", Junius Tremellius "medicina", Piscator, Cocceius; "sanatio", Michaelis; "sanatrix", Schultens.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 12:18. There is that speaketh — Instead of בוטה boteh, blabbing out, blustering, several MSS. have בוטח boteach, TRUSTING: and instead of כמדקרות kemadkeroth, AS the piercings, seven MSS., with the Complutensian Polyglot, have במדקרות bemadkeroth, IN the piercings. "There is that trusteth in the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health." But I suppose the former to be the true reading.


 
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