The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver.
The heart of the wicked is worth little.
Message: Everyday Use
Time: Proverbs records multiple individuals as its author with Solomon as the principal author. Solomon died in 931 BC though most think the book was likely in its final form sometime before the end of Hezekiah’s reign in 686 BC. It is a book that instructs people on the path of wisdom. It speaks to all of life and living our lives under the authority and direction of God.
What the Lord is Saying: The contrast in this verse once again involves the tongue, but at least today it reflects on something good about the tongue, but only for the person that is righteous. In looking at the various translations, there are not many variations to this verse or different words.
Righteous is an interesting word in our Bible. Here it is the Hebrew word saddiq. There are 206 occurrences of this word in the Old Testament. 133 of those are in Job, Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes with 66 of those in Proverbs. It and Psalms comprise most of the occurrences. It is translated as 'righteous' (162x), 'just' (42x), 'righteous man' (1x), 'lawful' (1x).
The usage in the Bible is defined as:
- just, lawful, righteous
- just, righteous (in government)
- just, right (in one's cause)
- just, righteous (in conduct and character)
- righteous (as justified and vindicated by God)
- right, correct, lawful
I suppose I find this interesting. It describes man and God, at various times, as being righteous.
I grabbed my Oxford Companion to the Bible and it says its basic meaning is of someone or something proven true, especially in a legal context. Not simply true, but proven true. Perhaps someone that has been tested and through that process has shown to be true. There are different meanings based upon the context. It says that for ordinary people, it means treating one's neighbor as a covenant partner, neither oppressing nor being oppressed. For everyone it means keeping God's will as conveyed in the Torah (Deut. 6:25).
Those are only a few thoughts on this word and its meaning. Here in this verse of proverbs, the tongue of the righteous is extolled or lifted up as being of choice silver. The tongue shines. Our tongue is meant to shine. Our words are meant to be pleasing to the eye. Gold and silver are the most commodity uses in the Bible for currency. Gold for larger purchases and silver for everyday, common purchases. Thus, the tongue here of the righteous is the everyday use or the common use. It is how we use our mouth each and every day, our customary and everyday life.
In contrast, the heart of the wicked is worth little. The comparison here is between the heart and the tongue. Heart is used 593 times in the Old Testament. It is used (figuratively, like the tongue) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything. The feelings of the wicked, the will of the wicked and even the intellect of the wicked - these are all worthless.
Words like tongue and heart, and even wicked and righteous or succinct words that have a wide range of meanings. Thus, this proverb, like many other proverbs cover a wide range of applications.
People don’t aspire for things of little worth or value. So we need to be about things that are valuable. We need to work towards proving ourselves as people of truth.
Prayer: Oh, God, help me to be an every day person of truth. I want my life to be proven true. Clean me from the inside/out each and every day. I ask that in my every day living I would honor you with my words, thoughts, care, concern, and even feelings. I want to be worthy of my calling as a Christ-follower.
Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.
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