Pro 10:13 | KingComments | STEP | “The mouth of the righteous”, that is, what the righteous says, “is a fountain of life” for those who listen to him ( ). His words are beneficial and give life force. A fountain gives fresh water every time. This is perfectly true of the mouth of the Lord Jesus. Out of His mouth come words of grace ( ). His words “are spirit and are life” ( ). We also find it in all the prophets who spoke the Word of God. All their words of instruction that they spoke on behalf of God were for the purpose of making the people of God live the true life. The same is true of the mouth of the New Testament believer. It is a source of life if he is guided by the Holy Spirit in his words. Then out of his inner being come “rivers of living water” for others ( ). What the wicked one says has a totally different content. He spreads violence. What he says only causes harm to others ( ). The quality of life is destroyed by him. Wherever he is and opens his mouth, the atmosphere is poisoned. Instead of refreshment and life, he sows death and destruction with his babbling. The wicked are driven by “hatred”, but the righteous by “love” ( ). Out of hatred spring strife and quarrels. The words of the wicked conceal violence, but the love of the righteous covers sins by forgiving them. Love brings peace through forgiveness, through the covering of “all transgressions”. There is an essential difference between the concealing or covering of and the covering of . In it is about the covering itself. Nothing is covered, but visible and violent. In , through the covering something is hidden and taken away and that is all transgression. The Lord Jesus, in His love, has covered all the transgressions of those who believe in Him with His blood and thereby forgiven them. Love “does not take into account a wrong [suffered]” ( ). Peter powerfully applies this word to our dealings with one another as believers living in the end times ( ). Covering transgressions or sins is also what we do when we bring back a sinner from his erring ways ( ). Those who seek “wisdom” find it “on the lips of the discerning” ( ). That is where wisdom is found. Just as wisdom and lips of the discerning belong together, so do “the rod” and “the back of him who lacks understanding” belong together. The only language that people without understanding understand is the language of the stick striking their backs as a punishment. They have hurt others with their talk and are given pain as punishment. Rehoboam, the foolish son of Solomon, is one who acted as a man without understanding when the people asked for relief from their burdens. He did not listen to wise counsel, but followed foolish advice. Therefore, he was struck with the rod, that is, the discipline of God ( ). “Wise men” are a storehouse of “knowledge” ( ). They can bring out the right thing at the right time on the right occasion ( ). Wise men know the value of silence. Knowledge is a precious treasure, not to be shown lightly. They do not loosely and inappropriately throw around words of wisdom. The fool makes himself heard at the most inopportune times and in the most inappropriate situations. From what he says, he is leading himself to ruin.

‏ Proverbs 10:13

The Mouth of the Righteous and of the Wicked

“The mouth of the righteous”, that is, what the righteous says, “is a fountain of life” for those who listen to him (Pro 10:11). His words are beneficial and give life force. A fountain gives fresh water every time. This is perfectly true of the mouth of the Lord Jesus. Out of His mouth come words of grace (Lk 4:22). His words “are spirit and are life” (Jn 6:63).

We also find it in all the prophets who spoke the Word of God. All their words of instruction that they spoke on behalf of God were for the purpose of making the people of God live the true life. The same is true of the mouth of the New Testament believer. It is a source of life if he is guided by the Holy Spirit in his words. Then out of his inner being come “rivers of living water” for others (Jn 7:38-39).

What the wicked one says has a totally different content. He spreads violence. What he says only causes harm to others (Pro 10:6b). The quality of life is destroyed by him. Wherever he is and opens his mouth, the atmosphere is poisoned. Instead of refreshment and life, he sows death and destruction with his babbling.

The wicked are driven by “hatred”, but the righteous by “love” (Pro 10:12). Out of hatred spring strife and quarrels. The words of the wicked conceal violence, but the love of the righteous covers sins by forgiving them. Love brings peace through forgiveness, through the covering of “all transgressions”.

There is an essential difference between the concealing or covering of Pro 10:11 and the covering of Pro 10:12. In Pro 10:11 it is about the covering itself. Nothing is covered, but visible and violent. In Pro 10:12, through the covering something is hidden and taken away and that is all transgression.

The Lord Jesus, in His love, has covered all the transgressions of those who believe in Him with His blood and thereby forgiven them. Love “does not take into account a wrong [suffered]” (1Cor 13:5). Peter powerfully applies this word to our dealings with one another as believers living in the end times (1Pet 4:7-8). Covering transgressions or sins is also what we do when we bring back a sinner from his erring ways (Jam 5:19-20).

Those who seek “wisdom” find it “on the lips of the discerning” (Pro 10:13). That is where wisdom is found. Just as wisdom and lips of the discerning belong together, so do “the rod” and “the back of him who lacks understanding” belong together. The only language that people without understanding understand is the language of the stick striking their backs as a punishment. They have hurt others with their talk and are given pain as punishment.

Rehoboam, the foolish son of Solomon, is one who acted as a man without understanding when the people asked for relief from their burdens. He did not listen to wise counsel, but followed foolish advice. Therefore, he was struck with the rod, that is, the discipline of God (1Kgs 12:1-24).

“Wise men” are a storehouse of “knowledge” (Pro 10:14). They can bring out the right thing at the right time on the right occasion (Mt 12:35a ; Mt 13:52). Wise men know the value of silence. Knowledge is a precious treasure, not to be shown lightly. They do not loosely and inappropriately throw around words of wisdom. The fool makes himself heard at the most inopportune times and in the most inappropriate situations. From what he says, he is leading himself to ruin.