American Standard Version
Proverbs 18:4
4The words of a man’s mouth areasdeep waters;The wellspring of wisdom is as a flowing brook.
Proverbs 18:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.
- New International Version (NIV)The words of the mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The words of a man's mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook.
Context of Proverbs 18:4
2A fool hath no delight in understanding, But only that his heart may reveal itself. 3When the wicked cometh, there cometh also contempt, And with ignominy cometh reproach. The words of a man’s mouth areasdeep waters; The wellspring of wisdom is as a flowing brook. 5To respect the person of the wicked is not good, Norto turn aside the righteous in judgment. 6A fool’s lips enter into contention, And his mouth calleth for stripes.
Read all of Proverbs 18Proverbs 18:4 word by word
מַ֣יִם עֲ֭מֻקִּים דִּבְרֵ֣י פִי־אִ֑ישׁ נַ֥חַל נֹ֝בֵ֗עַ מְק֣וֹר חָכְמָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Proverbs 18:4
- Proverbs 10:11The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life; But violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
- Proverbs 13:14The law of the wise is a fountain of life, That one may depart from the snares of death.
- Proverbs 16:22Understanding is a well-spring of life unto him that hath it; But the correction of fools istheirfolly.
- Proverbs 20:5Counsel in the heart of man islikedeep water; But a man of understanding will draw it out.
- Matthew 12:34Ye offspring of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
- John 4:14but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up unto eternal life.
- John 7:38He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water.
- Colossians 3:16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto God.
- Colossians 4:6Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer each one.
- Psalms 78:2I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old,
Commentaries on Proverbs 18:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4The 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, חכמה מקור mekor chochmah, "the vein of wisdom," ever throwing out its healthy streams: but חיים מקור mekor chaiyim, "the vein of Lives," is the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4The parallelism of the two clauses is probably one of contrast. If so, the proverb is a comparison between all teaching from without and that of the light within. “The words of a man‘s mouth” are dark as the “deep waters” of a pool, or tank (“deep waters” being associated in the Old Testament with the thought of darkness and mystery; compare Proverbs 20:5; Psalm 69:2; Ecclesiastes 7:24); but “the wellspring of wisdom is as a flowing brook,” bright and…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4Verse 4 The well-spring of wisdom in the heart of a believer, continually supplies words of wisdom.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Words reflect a person's character, like water springs from the earth (see also Proverbs 10:20; 12:23; 16:23; compare James 3:10–12).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. Wise speech is like an exhaustless stream of benefit.Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 18:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries