Proverbs 18:4

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2 A fool has no delight in understanding,
But in expressing his ^aown heart.

3 When the wicked comes, contempt comes also;
And with dishonor comes reproach.

4 ^aThe words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;
^bThe wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook.

5 It is not good to show partiality to the wicked,
Or to overthrow the righteous in ^ajudgment.

6 A fool’s lips enter into contention,
And his mouth calls for blows.

7 ^aA fool’s mouth is his destruction,
And his lips are the snare of his ^bsoul.

8 ^aThe words of a¹ talebearer are like tasty trifles,
And they go down into the¹ inmost body.

9 He who is slothful in his work
Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.

Commentaries:

Adam Clarke

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Proverbs 18:4

The words of a man' s mouth - That is, the wise sayings of a wise man are like deep waters; howsoever much you pump or draw off, you do not appear to lessen them.

The well-spring of wisdom - Where there is a sound understanding, and a deep, well-informed mind, its wisdom and its counsels are an incessant stream, mekor chochmah , "the vein of wisdom," ever throwing out its healthy streams: but mekor chaiyim , "the vein of Lives," is the reading of eight of Kennicott' s and De Rossi' s MSS., and is countenanced by the Septuagint, , "the fountain of life." And so the Arabic. This is the more likely to be the true reading, because the figure of the heart propelling the blood through the great aorta, to send it to all parts of the animal system, is a favourite with Solomon, as it was with his father, David. See the note on Psalms 36:9; Proverbs 10:11, etc.

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