What does Proverbs 15:7 mean?
ESV: The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools.
NIV: The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but the hearts of fools are not upright.
NASB: The lips of the wise spread knowledge, But the hearts of fools are not so.
CSB: The lips of the wise broadcast knowledge, but not so the heart of fools.
NLT: The lips of the wise give good advice; the heart of a fool has none to give.
KJV: The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so.
NKJV: The lips of the wise disperse knowledge, But the heart of the fool does not do so.
Verse Commentary:
This accredits spreading of knowledge to those who are wise. Those who honor godly truth speak wisely and others benefit from their words. They speak the truth and share it freely.
This is certainly true of believers who share the gospel with others. They present the facts of the gospel: First, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures. Second, that He was buried. Third, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. Fourth, that He appeared to Peter, to the twelve disciples, to more than 500 believers, to James, to all the apostles, and to the apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 15:3–8).
It is important that witnesses in a court of law give truthful testimony about what they saw, heard, or experienced. It is also important that believers, who are Jesus' witnesses, share the truth about Jesus and what He has accomplished in their lives (Acts 1:8). Fools ignore or reject the facts about Jesus, and they also reject Jesus. Therefore, they cannot spread the knowledge of Him with others.
Verse Context:
Proverbs 15:6–12 contrasts the righteous and the wicked; in the context of the book of Proverbs, these two groups are also defined as those who are "wise" and those who are "foolish." Many of these comparisons are from God's perspective. Even good deeds and rituals performed by those who disobey God are offensive to Him. And yet, He accepts the prayers of those who sincerely seek His will. The Lord loves those who love Him, but He consigns the wicked to eternal punishment (Proverbs 10:29).
Chapter Summary:
Solomon begins this chapter of Proverbs by addressing subjects such as anger and self-control and how those reactions produce different responses from others. That extends to how carefully a person guards their words, and their responses to questions. Wise people seek wisdom and humbly accept it. Foolish people are careless, lazy, or arrogant. Solomon also notes the importance of perspective, and once again commends those who sincerely seek godly wisdom.
Chapter Context:
Chapter 10 began a long list of Solomon's wise sayings. This passage continues to emphasize common themes such as hard work, humility, godly wisdom, and self-control. This extended collection of proverbs continues through much of chapter 22.
Book Summary:
Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom” is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.
Accessed 4/29/2024 10:39:14 AM
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