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“Let us look at what the Word of God says.”
> “A gentle answer turns away wrath,
> but a harsh word stirs up anger.
> The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge,
> but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.”
> — Proverbs 15:1–2 (NIV)
The song simply echoes this verse twice, and that in itself is significant. Repetition in Scripture is never accidental. When God says something twice, He is emphasizing its certainty and importance.
These verses confront us with a simple but profound truth:
Your tongue is either a peacemaker or a troublemaker.
Your words are either instruments of wisdom or channels of folly.
The central theme is this: Words are spiritual forces. They do not merely describe reality; they often create it, shape it, intensify it, or calm it. In this short proverb, God reveals:
Our battle, especially in relationships, marriages, families, churches, and workplaces, is very often a battle of words. Many homes are not destroyed by immorality or financial collapse first, but by unrestrained tongues, harsh answers, and foolish talk.
God here provides a divine key: A gentle answer.
Not silence. Not evasion. Not manipulation.
A Spirit-governed, wise, gentle answer that turns away wrath.
Let us look at this passage in its own context.
---
The book of Proverbs is largely a collection of wisdom sayings from King Solomon, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Solomon was not a theorist. He was a king, dealing daily with conflict, judgment, disputes, and decisions. He understood the power of words in real-life situations: courts, leadership, family, and diplomacy.
Proverbs 10–22 contains what we might call “Solomon’s core proverbs”—short, sharp statements that contrast the righteous and the wicked, the wise and the foolish, the diligent and the lazy. Proverbs 15 falls right in the midst of this section.
Proverbs 15:1–2 comes in a sequence of verses dealing with:
In other words, God is teaching us that speech and heart are inseparable, and that the Lord is watching what we say and why we say it.
Some key contextual points:
1. The setting is very practical.
There is an angry person. Wrath is present. The question is: Will you intensify it or disarm it?
2. The speaker is God through Solomon.
This is not mere human advice. This is divine wisdom on conflict, communication, and character.
3. The situation is common.
Every one of us knows what it is to be confronted with anger—within marriage, parenting, work, ministry, or even in our own hearts. God is not dealing with rare cases but daily life.
4. The contrast is moral and spiritual.
There is the tongue of the wise and the mouth of the fool. The opposition is not merely between “clever” and “less clever,” but between righteousness and folly, Spirit-led and flesh-led.
The Holy Spirit here is not merely trying to refine our social skills. He is trying to teach us how to live as wise, Spirit-governed people in a world full of anger, conflict, and foolish speech.
---
To understand this passage more deeply, we need to look at two key Hebrew words.
### 1) “Gentle” — *rakh* (רַךְ)
> “A gentle answer turns away wrath…”
The word translated “gentle” is *rakh*. It means:
This is not weakness. It is controlled strength. It is the opposite of harshness, roughness, or severity. In modern terms, we might say: A “soft-toned” answer, a “tender” answer, a “gentle-spirited” reply.
This does not mean compromise with sin or avoidance of truth. It means that even truth must be delivered in a way that disarms anger rather than provokes it, whenever possible.
Paul echoes this principle in the New Testament:
> “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt…”
> — Colossians 4:6
> “…speaking the truth in love…”
> — Ephesians 4:15
The gentle answer is not empty flattery. It is truth carried in grace.
### 2) “Turns away” — *shuv* (שׁוּב)
> “A gentle answer turns away wrath…”
The Hebrew verb here is *shuv*, a very important word in the Old Testament. It means:
This tells us something powerful: Wrath has a direction. Anger is moving toward a certain outcome—quarrel, division, violence, bitterness. But the gentle answer has the spiritual power to reverse that direction. It can turn wrath aside, divert it, send it back.
Your words, when Spirit-governed, can literally change the direction of a conversation, a relationship, even a family history.
### 3) “Adorns” / “Uses” — *yatib* (יֵיטִיב)
Verse 2:
> “The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing…” (NLT)
> “The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge…” (NIV)
The Hebrew verb *yatib* means:
The idea is that the wise do not merely possess knowledge; they present it in a way that is beneficial, fitting, and attractive. They make truth “sit well” with people. Knowledge, in their mouth, is not a weapon to crush, but a tool to help.
This contrasts with the fool:
> “…but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.”
The Hebrew picture is of something bubbling up, pouring out, like a burst spring. The fool does not weigh his words. He does not consider their impact. He simply lets whatever is in his heart come out, unfiltered.
Jesus said:
> “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
> — Matthew 12:34
The wise use their tongues to make knowledge helpful. The fool uses his tongue to expose his inner chaos.
---
The lyrics restate Proverbs 15:1–2 twice:
> “A gentle answer quiets anger, but harsh words stir it up.
> The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing,
> but the mouth of a fool gushes out foolishness.”
We will divide this into four themes:
1. A gentle answer quiets anger
2. Harsh words stir up anger
3. The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing
4. The mouth of a fool gushes out foolishness
### 1) A Gentle Answer Quiets Anger
Anger is a reality in a fallen world. The question is not if you will face anger, but how you will respond to it.
Scripture recognizes different kinds of anger:
But God gives us a principle: Your response can either extinguish the fire or add fuel to it.
James writes:
> “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”
> — James 1:19–20
The gentle answer is a fruit of being:
A gentle answer does not mean you agree with the angry person. It means you refuse to let their anger dictate your spirit. You answer from the Spirit, not from the flesh.
In spiritual warfare terms, anger is often a doorway for demonic influence (Ephesians 4:26–27). But a gentle answer closes the door. It denies Satan the ground he seeks to gain through escalation.
Where does such gentleness come from?
> “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness (*prautēs*), and self-control.”
> — Galatians 5:22–23
The gentle answer is not natural temperament. It is supernatural fruit.
### 2) Harsh Words Stir Up Anger
If a gentle answer turns anger away, harsh words do the opposite—they provoke, intensify, and inflame.
“Harsh” here means:
Some believers think that because what they say is “true,” the way they say it is irrelevant. Scripture denies that.
Proverbs 12:18:
> “The words of the reckless pierce like swords,
> but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
Notice the contrast:
Harsh words are often rooted in:
These harsh words “stir up” anger. The Hebrew suggests the idea of stirring a fire, poking the embers until they flame again. Harsh speech is like adding oxygen to anger.
Spiritually, this is deadly. James warns:
> “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body… It is itself set on fire by hell.”
> — James 3:6
When we yield our tongues to harshness, we risk aligning with hell’s purposes in that situation, not heaven’s.
### 3) The Tongue of the Wise Makes Knowledge Appealing
Wisdom is not merely possessing correct information; it is knowing how and when and in what tone to present it.
Many relationships are destroyed not because one person is wrong in content, but wrong in spirit and delivery. The wise person:
Proverbs 25:11 says:
> “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” (ESV)
There is a “fitly spoken” word—a word in the right season, in the right measure, in the right way. That is the mark of the wise.
The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing. The Hebrew idea is that it makes knowledge “good” to people. It is not forced, not weaponized, not arrogant. It is given in a way that people can receive.
Jesus was the perfect example:
> “And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth.”
> — Luke 4:22 (ESV)
Gracious words. Yet He was never soft on sin, never compromising truth. He combined truth and grace. That is wisdom.
### 4) The Mouth of a Fool Gushes Out Foolishness
Notice: it does not say “the heart of a fool,” but “the mouth of a fool.” The heart is already foolish, but the mouth exposes it and amplifies it.
“Gushes” suggests:
The fool speaks:
Proverbs 10:19:
> “Sin is not ended by multiplying words,
> but the prudent hold their tongues.”
Proverbs 18:6–7:
> “The lips of fools bring them strife,
> and their mouths invite a beating.
> The mouths of fools are their undoing,
> and their lips are a snare to their very lives.”
The fool’s mouth is self-destructive. He creates conflict and then is wounded by the conflict he helped to start.
Spiritually, foolish speech opens doors to:
By contrast, the wise use their tongues to build up, to reconcile, to heal, and to minister life.
---
We must not treat this as mere theory. Proverbs 15:1–2 calls us to disciplined, Spirit-governed speech. Let me outline four practical steps, each with a simple proclamation.
### Step 1: Acknowledge That Your Tongue Reveals Your Heart
The first step is to stop excusing your words as “just how I am” or “just the way I talk.”
Jesus said:
> “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
> — Matthew 12:34
If your mouth is harsh, your heart is troubled. If your mouth is foolish, your heart needs wisdom. There is no bypass around the heart.
Proclamation 1:
“I confess that my words reveal my heart. Lord, I ask you to change my heart so that my mouth may speak what is pleasing to you.”
### Step 2: Surrender Your Tongue to the Holy Spirit
James says the tongue is humanly untamable (James 3:8). But what man cannot tame, the Holy Spirit can control.
We must consciously and daily present our tongues to God as instruments of righteousness.
Romans 6:13:
> “Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God…”
This includes your tongue.
Proclamation 2:
“Lord Jesus, I present my tongue to you. Holy Spirit, take control of my mouth. Let my words be instruments of peace, wisdom, and life.”
### Step 3: Choose the Gentle Answer in Moments of Anger
This is where the battle is actually fought. Not in theory, but when tempers rise, when you are misunderstood, criticized, or provoked.
You must decide in advance: I will not answer from my flesh. I will answer from the Spirit.
Very often, the victory is in a few seconds of silence while you pray inwardly: “Holy Spirit, help me.” Those few seconds can be the difference between a gentle answer that turns wrath away and a harsh word that stirs it up.
Proverbs 17:27:
> “The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.”
Proclamation 3:
“In the face of anger, I choose a gentle answer. By God’s grace, my words will turn away wrath, not stir it up.”
### Step 4: Speak Wisdom That Makes Truth Appealing
Ask the Lord not only to give you correct doctrine, but also the wisdom to present it well.
Colossians 4:6:
> “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
That phrase—“how to answer”—is the New Testament echo of Proverbs 15:1. The wise know how to answer. They do not only know what to answer.
This affects:
The goal is not to win arguments, but to win hearts; not to crush with truth, but to heal with truth.
Proclamation 4:
“Lord, make me wise in speech. Let my tongue make knowledge appealing. Let my words carry both truth and grace, so that people can receive what you give through me.”
---
### Proclamation (Declare Aloud)
“I affirm today that my tongue is under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
I renounce harsh, reckless, and foolish speech.
According to Proverbs 15:1–2,
I choose a gentle answer that turns away wrath,
and I refuse harsh words that stir up anger.
By the Holy Spirit,
my tongue will be the tongue of the wise,
making knowledge appealing and helpful.
My mouth will not gush out foolishness,
but will speak words of life, peace, and truth.
My home, my relationships, and my atmosphere
will no longer be ruled by uncontrolled anger and foolish words,
but by the wisdom and gentleness of Christ in me.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
### Prayer
“Father, in the name of Jesus,
I bring my tongue, my words, and my reactions before you.
Forgive me for every harsh word,
every reckless comment,
every foolish outburst that has stirred up anger,
wounded others, and grieved your Spirit.
Lord Jesus, I submit my mouth to your authority.
Holy Spirit, come and take control of my speech.
Plant in me your gentleness, your restraint, your wisdom.
In every situation of anger or conflict,
remind me of your Word:
‘A gentle answer turns away wrath.’
Break every pattern of strife in my life that has been fueled by my words.
Heal relationships damaged by careless speech.
Restore what has been broken through foolish talk.
From this day, let my words be instruments of healing,
reconciliation, and truth.
Let the tongue of the wise be formed in me,
that I may make your knowledge appealing to those around me.
I ask this in the mighty name of Jesus.
Amen.”
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