Pro 15:4 | NETfull | STEP | Speech that heals is like a life-giving tree, but a perverse tongue breaks the spirit.

Proverbs 15:4

4 Speech ^{▼▼ Heb “a tongue.” The term “tongue” is a metonymy of cause for what is produced: speech.} that heals ^{▼▼ Heb “a tongue of healing.” A healing tongue refers to speech that is therapeutic or soothing. It is a source of vitality.} is like ^{▼▼ The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied for the sake of clarity.} a life-giving tree, ^{▼▼ Heb “tree of life.”}
but a perverse tongue ^{▼▼ Heb “perversion in it.” The referent must be the tongue, so this has been supplied in the translation for clarity. A tongue that is twisted, perverse, or deceitful is a way of describing deceitful speech. Such words will crush the spirit (e.g., Isa 65:14).} breaks the spirit.