New King James Version
Proverbs 10:20
20The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; The heart of the wicked is worth little.
Proverbs 10:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.
- New International Version (NIV)The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth.
- New Living Translation (NLT)The words of the godly are like sterling silver; the heart of a fool is worthless.
Context of Proverbs 10:20
18Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, And whoever spreads slander is a fool. 19In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; The heart of the wicked is worth little. 21The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of wisdom. 22The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.
Read all of Proverbs 10Proverbs 10:20 word by word
כֶּ֣סֶף נִ֭בְחָר לְשׁ֣וֹן צַדִּ֑יק לֵ֖ב רְשָׁעִ֣ים כִּמְעָֽט׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 10:20
- Proverbs 12:18There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health.
- Proverbs 15:4A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
- Proverbs 16:13Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And they love him who speaks what is right.
- Proverbs 25:11A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold In settings of silver.
- Matthew 12:35A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.
- Proverbs 23:7For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you.
- Genesis 6:5Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
- Genesis 8:21And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.
- Jeremiah 17:9“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
- Matthew 12:34Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Commentaries on Proverbs 10:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20The heart of the wicked is little worth - כמעט kimat, is like little or nothing; or is like dross, while the tongue of the just is like silver. A sinner's heart is worth nothing, and is good for nothing; and yet because it is his most hidden part, he vaunts of its honesty, goodness, etc.! Yes, yes; it is very honest and good, only the devil is in it! that is all.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20The tongue, the instrument of the mind is contrasted with the heart or mind itself, the just with the wicked, the choice silver with the worthless “little,” the Hebrew word being possibly taken in its primary sense as a “filing” or “scraping” of dross or worthless metal. If the tongue is precious, how much more the mind! If the heart is worthless, how much more the speech!Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-21Verses 20-21 The tongue of the just is sincere, freed from the dross of guile and evil design. Pious discourse is spiritual food to the needy. Fools die for want of a heart, so the word is; for want of thought.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20Words express what is in the heart.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. Right speech is the fruit of a good heart, but the wicked show theirs to be useless.Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 10:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 10
- 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
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries