the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Wycliffe Bible
Proverbs 17:7
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- InternationalParallel Translations
Eloquent words are not appropriate on a fool’s lips;how much worse are lies for a ruler.
Arrogant speech isn't fitting for a fool, Much less do lying lips fit a prince.
Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince.
Fine speech is not becoming to a fool; still less is false speech to a prince.
Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool, Much less are lying lips to a prince.
Fools should not be proud, and rulers should not be liars.
Excellent speech does not benefit a fool [who is spiritually blind], Much less do lying lips benefit a prince.
Arrogant speech isn't fitting for a fool, Much less do lying lips fit a prince.
Hie talke becommeth not a foole, much lesse a lying talke a prince.
Excellent lips are not fitting for a wicked fool,Even less are lying lips for a noble man.
Eloquent words are unfit for a fool; how much worse are lying lips to a ruler!
It sounds strange for a fool to talk sensibly, but it's even worse for a ruler to tell lies.
Fine speech is unbecoming to a boor, and even less lying lips to a leader.
Excellent speech becometh not a vile [man]; how much less do lying lips a noble!
You wouldn't expect to hear a fine speech from a fool, and you shouldn't expect lies from a ruler.
Excellent speech is unbecoming to a fool, and lying lips to a righteous man.
Respected people do not tell lies, and fools have nothing worthwhile to say.
Fine speech is not becoming a fool, still less is false speech for a ruler.
An arrogant lip is not fitting for a fool, much less are lying lips for a noble.
An eloquent speach becometh not a foole, a dyssemblinge mouth also besemeth not a prynce.
Excellent speech becometh not a fool; Much less do lying lips a prince.
Fair words are not to be looked for from a foolish man, much less are false lips in a ruler.
Overbearing speech becometh not a churl; much less do lying lips a prince.
Excellent speech becommeth not a foole: much lesse doe lying lippes a prince.
Speache of aucthoritie becommeth not a foole, much lesse a lying mouth then beseemeth a prince.
Faithful lips will not suit a fool; nor lying lips a just man.
Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince.
Excellent speech does not become a fool; Much less do lying lips a prince.
Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince.
Excessive speech is not becoming for a fool; how much less are lies for a ruler!
Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool, Much less lying lips to a prince.
Eloquent words are not fitting for a fool; even less are lies fitting for a ruler.
Fine speaking is not right for a fool. Even worse are lying lips to a ruler.
Fine speech is not becoming to a fool; still less is false speech to a ruler.
Unseemly in an unworthy man, is the lip of excellence, much more, in one of noble mind, the lip of falsehood.
Eloquent words do not become a fool, nor lying lips a prince.
Fine speech is not becoming to a fool; still less is false speech to a prince.
Not comely for a fool is a lip of excellency, Much less for a noble a lip of falsehood.
We don't expect eloquence from fools, nor do we expect lies from our leaders.
Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool, Much less are lying lips to a prince.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Excellent speech: Heb. A lip of excellency, Proverbs 26:7, Psalms 50:16, Psalms 50:17, Matthew 7:5
much: Proverbs 16:10-13, Proverbs 29:12, 2 Samuel 23:3, Job 34:12, Psalms 101:3-5
lying lips: Heb. a lip of lying, Proverbs 12:19
Reciprocal: Judges 16:7 - If they bind
Cross-References
In that dai the Lord made a couenaunt of pees with Abram, and seide, Y schal yyue to thi seed this lond, fro the ryuer of Egipt til to the greet ryuer Eufrates; Cyneis,
and thi name schal no more be clepid Abram, but thou schalt be clepid Abraham, for Y haue maad thee fadir of many folkis;
and Y schal make thee to wexe ful greetli, and Y schal sette thee in folkis, and kyngis schulen go out of thee;
and Y schal make my couenaunt bitwixe me and thee, and bitwixe thi seed after thee, in her generaciouns, bi euerlastynge bond of pees, that Y be thi God, and of thi seed after thee;
and Y schal yyue to thee and to thi seed after thee the lond of thi pilgrymage, al the lond of Chanaan, in to euerlastynge possessioun, and Y schal be the God of hem.
God seide eft to Abraham, And therfor thou schalt kepe my couenaunt, and thi seed after thee, in her generaciouns.
and ye schulen circumside the fleisch of youre mannes yeerd, that it be in to a signe of boond of pees bytwixe me and you.
and Y schal blesse hir, and of hir I schal yyue to thee a sone, whom I schal blesse, and he schal be in to naciouns, and kyngis of puplis schulen be borun of hym.
Abraham felde doun on his face, and leiyede in his hert, and seide, Gessist thou, whethir a sone schal be borun to a man of an hundrid yeer, and Sara of nynti yeer schal bere child?
and the Lord fastned to the laddir, seiynge to hym, Y am the Lord God of Abraham, thi fadir, and God of Isaac; Y schal yyue to thee and to thi seed the lond in which thou slepist.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Excellent speech becometh not a fool,.... A wicked man. Eloquence, or a sublime grand way of speaking, a copiousness and fluency of expression, become not such; because hereby he may be capable of doing more mischief; or such a style is unsuitable to the subject of his discourse, which is nothing but folly and wickedness. The Gospel is excellent speech, sound speech, that cannot be condemned; it treats of excellent things; concerning the person, office, and grace of Christ, and salvation by him; and very unfit is a wicked man to take it into his mouth, talk of it, and declare it;
much less do lying lips a prince; they rather become a fool, as excellent speech does a prince; who neither should speak lies himself, nor encourage, but abhor them in others. The Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, render it, "a just man": but the word more property signifies a liberal man, as it is rendered in Isaiah 32:8; where it stands opposed to a churl or covetous man: and some Jewish f writers think by the "fool" is meant such an one to whom a "lip of abundance" g, as it may be rendered, is very unsuitable; or to talk of his abundance, when he makes no good use of what he has for himself or others; and so, on the other hand, it is very disagreeable to the character of an ingenuous and liberal man to promise and not perform, and never intended it. It is true of such who are made a "willing" people in the day of Christ's power, Psalms 110:3; where the same word is used as here; of his volunteers; that to speak lies one to another very ill becomes them; or to receive, or to speak, or profess false doctrines; for no lie is of the truth.
f Kabvenaki in Mercer. in loc. g שפת ×תר "labium abundantiae".
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
The margin renderings are more literal and give greater emphasis. What is pointed out is not the unfitness of lying lips for the princely-hearted, but the necessity of harmony, in each case, between character and speech.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Proverbs 17:7. Excellent speech becometh not a fool — This proverb is suitable to those who affect, in public speaking, fine language, which neither comports with their ordinary conversation, nor with their education. Often fine words are injudiciously brought in, and are as unbecoming and irrelevant as a cart wheel among clockwork.
