Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
To desire life and love many days that they may see good, people must hold back the tongue from evil and the lips from speaking what is false or deceitful. This guarding of speech belongs to fearing and seeking the Lord, departing from evil and doing good, and seeking and pursuing peace, under which He watches over the righteous, hears their cry, and delivers them from troubles. The tongue cannot be mastered by human power alone, but victory over hasty and unchristlike words comes only through Christ as His followers refuse in His strength to voice evil suggestions. Obedience therefore calls for prayer for God to guard speech, with constant watchfulness, daily self-examination, and patient endurance without murmuring, retaliation, or harsh and condemning words even when wronged and tried. In daily life this forbids gossip, sowing discord, criticism, judging and condemning others, and all deception and impurity in business and conversation, so that sanctified speech blesses rather than injures and preserves unity and peace.
Context and Promise
The question who desires life and loves many days in order to see good is answered by keeping the tongue from evil and the lips from speaking deceit. Guarded, truthful, harmless speech belongs to a life of reverence for God and well-being. The desire for life and good days is joined to turning away from evil to do good and to seeking and pursuing peace.
Guarding speech from evil and deceit belongs to fearing the Lord and seeking the Lord. It is part of the condition of turning from evil and doing good under which abundant promises are given to those who seek the Lord. It shows the reformation and transformed character that accompany faith, while gossip and words that sow discord run contrary to Christ's character. It belongs to learning the fear of the Lord by everyone who desires life and loves many days that he may see good.
Keeping speech is joined to departing from evil and doing good and to seeking peace and pursuing it. Those preparing for Christ's coming must keep speech from evil and without deceit as they avoid evil, do good, seek peace, and pursue it. The Lord watches over the righteous and hears their prayers and their cry, and delivers them from troubles and out of all their afflictions. This confidence in God brings inward quiet and satisfaction. Honest, good speech is part of the conduct that leads to a good life.
This conduct shows that religion is not harmful but is conducive to health and happiness in this life. It brings harmony with the physical, mental, and moral laws of God, teaching self-control, serenity, and temperance. It ennobles the mind, refines the taste, sanctifies the judgment, lightens anxiety and care, and fills the heart with joy and contentment. It directly promotes health, lengthens life, heightens enjoyment of its blessings, and opens a never-failing fountain of happiness, while the forbidden path of transgression leads to misery and destruction.
Keeping the tongue from evil and the lips from guile belongs to the experience of the righteous with broken heart and contrite spirit whom the Lord is near to save, with His eyes upon them and His ears open to their cry. It belongs with acknowledging sin, not hiding iniquity, confessing transgressions and being forgiven, departing from evil and doing good, and seeking peace and pursuing it. In affliction it guards against thinking the anger of the Lord is upon us, since God brings trials to draw His people near to Him and delivers the righteous out of all their afflictions. It calls them to have their lips opened to show forth His praise and to lay hold of these promises for themselves. Every verse of the psalm holds important lessons about God's tender regard for those with subdued, contrite hearts. This is to be read with God's promise to dwell in the high and holy place with the contrite and humble to revive them, and with His mercy from generation to generation on those who fear Him who scatters the proud, puts down the mighty, exalts those of low degree, fills the hungry with good things, and sends the rich away empty.
Keeping speech free from evil and deceit belongs to the purity and disciplined character that education should encourage, and it is cited as part of instruction connected with the moral training of youth. Guarding speech from evil and deceit, turning from evil to do good, and seeking peace are presented as the way of life and well-being.
Victory Through Christ
No human strength by itself can master the tongue, and hasty words that misrepresent Christ are overcome only through Christ. When in His strength a person refuses to give voice to the suggestions of Satan, bitterness in the heart dies. Then the Holy Spirit is able to make the tongue a fountain of life-giving speech kept from evil and deceit.
The command is to be turned into prayer, asking God to guard speech from evil and guile. The prayer rests wholly on God's promise with simple, trustful, genuine faith, without presumption and without trusting in self even for a moment. Its longing is to follow on to know the Lord, so that the words of the lips will be right words and the meditations of the heart will be directed toward God. In that reliance there are comfort, peace, and self-control, with words kept right even amid pain and distress.
Obedience calls for constant watchfulness and earnest discipline, with daily self-examination of words and conduct and daily resistance of temptation as a definite part of earnest Christian service. By careful attention and practice even careless speakers put away cheap expressions and defects of manner, tone, and pronunciation, and form the habit of sound, pure, correct speech that represents Christ and edifies others. In times of trial, even when wronged, love for God is to be kept in the heart and wrong endured patiently rather than met with murmuring or retaliation. Harsh, condemning, and defiant speech is to be avoided, and love cherished even toward one who has done wrong.
Faithful Speech Applied
Keeping the tongue from evil and the lips from deceit belongs to preparing for Christ's coming, as part of turning from evil, doing good, and seeking and pursuing peace, under the watch of the Lord over the righteous and His hearing of their prayers. Wisdom from God requires this same guarding of speech against corrupt talk and guile, so that words do not stain purity of thought and action.
Gossip and words that sow discord are forbidden, for they run contrary to Christ's character and show the lack of the reformation and transformed character that accompany true fear of the Lord and departing from evil to do good. Speaking or spreading suspicions that lead believers to think evil of one another is also forbidden, because it causes grief and pain and serves Satan's effort to harm the church. Criticism, judging, condemning, and expressing unkind opinions about the work or motives of others are forbidden, and spreading negative words about those carrying responsibility displeases God and can nearly break up an institution, so that in such cases silence is eloquent.
Children, especially when provoked or when they hear others speaking against someone, are not to join harmful talk but to turn the conversation toward what is cheerful and uplifting, with words following Christ's example from a heart kept in God's love. Believers are to refuse to speak against a brother or sister, addressing a wrong kindly and privately instead, since harmful speech breaks unity and peace. The gift of speech is to be sanctified for God's glory to bless and not injure, refusing to spread evil reports or bring reproach on others, for speaking evil brings reproach on the speaker while loving one's neighbor ends idle, harmful whispering. False principles in dealings with others are likewise forbidden, since such conduct can lead people away from the safe path.
A worker for God must keep lips and mouth truthful and pure, with pure thoughts and a holy life and character, for the voice and tongue are designed by God to be a blessing to others and putting them to a wrong use does much harm. Stimulation from tea that excites the mind to unwise, impure conversation breaks this standard of speaking evil of no one and keeping the lips without guile. Speech must be without deception, with no guile in the lips, no impurity in the heart, and no unkindness in word or attitude, learning now the language of Canaan that will agree with heaven by cultivating grace and love and deep interest in spiritual things, keeping love burning on the heart's altar, and giving thanksgiving from sincere lips. In business, especially in selling property, the tongue must be true with no guile or semblance of untruth, never holding back unfavorable facts nor exaggerating praise to place property in a favorable light and deceive the purchaser in violation of conscience, but maintaining a pure conscience in every transaction with strict honesty and unimpeachable character, with tongue true, eyes true, and actions wholly such as God can commend, because life is lived before a holy God whose eye is ever upon men and knows every work, from whom no unjust dealing can be hidden.
Guarding the tongue preserves peace and prevents strife by not letting individuality become prominent, not insisting on one's own way, leaving individual preferences unexpressed when they would create discord, and yielding one's own opinion unless a question of vital principle is involved. Even winning an argument by harsh words places a heavy burden on others and leaves wounds that are hard to heal, so strife-making matters are never to be introduced into conversation, differences are to be kept to oneself and told only to God, since such talk hurts one's own soul and the souls of others. Serving God with a humble heart includes stopping mischievous and evil speech that causes harm.
To desire life and love many days that they may see good, people must hold back the tongue from evil and the lips from speaking what is false or deceitful. This guarding of speech belongs to fearing and seeking the Lord, departing from evil and doing good, and seeking and pursuing peace, under which He watches over the righteous, hears their cry, and delivers them from troubles. The tongue cannot be mastered by human power alone, but victory over hasty and unchristlike words comes only through Christ as His followers refuse in His strength to voice evil suggestions. Obedience therefore calls for prayer for God to guard speech, with constant watchfulness, daily self-examination, and patient endurance without murmuring, retaliation, or harsh and condemning words even when wronged and tried. In daily life this forbids gossip, sowing discord, criticism, judging and condemning others, and all deception and impurity in business and conversation, so that sanctified speech blesses rather than injures and preserves unity and peace.
Context and Promise
The question who desires life and loves many days in order to see good is answered by keeping the tongue from evil and the lips from speaking deceit. Guarded, truthful, harmless speech belongs to a life of reverence for God and well-being. The desire for life and good days is joined to turning away from evil to do good and to seeking and pursuing peace.
Guarding speech from evil and deceit belongs to fearing the Lord and seeking the Lord. It is part of the condition of turning from evil and doing good under which abundant promises are given to those who seek the Lord. It shows the reformation and transformed character that accompany faith, while gossip and words that sow discord run contrary to Christ's character. It belongs to learning the fear of the Lord by everyone who desires life and loves many days that he may see good.
Keeping speech is joined to departing from evil and doing good and to seeking peace and pursuing it. Those preparing for Christ's coming must keep speech from evil and without deceit as they avoid evil, do good, seek peace, and pursue it. The Lord watches over the righteous and hears their prayers and their cry, and delivers them from troubles and out of all their afflictions. This confidence in God brings inward quiet and satisfaction. Honest, good speech is part of the conduct that leads to a good life.
This conduct shows that religion is not harmful but is conducive to health and happiness in this life. It brings harmony with the physical, mental, and moral laws of God, teaching self-control, serenity, and temperance. It ennobles the mind, refines the taste, sanctifies the judgment, lightens anxiety and care, and fills the heart with joy and contentment. It directly promotes health, lengthens life, heightens enjoyment of its blessings, and opens a never-failing fountain of happiness, while the forbidden path of transgression leads to misery and destruction.
Keeping the tongue from evil and the lips from guile belongs to the experience of the righteous with broken heart and contrite spirit whom the Lord is near to save, with His eyes upon them and His ears open to their cry. It belongs with acknowledging sin, not hiding iniquity, confessing transgressions and being forgiven, departing from evil and doing good, and seeking peace and pursuing it. In affliction it guards against thinking the anger of the Lord is upon us, since God brings trials to draw His people near to Him and delivers the righteous out of all their afflictions. It calls them to have their lips opened to show forth His praise and to lay hold of these promises for themselves. Every verse of the psalm holds important lessons about God's tender regard for those with subdued, contrite hearts. This is to be read with God's promise to dwell in the high and holy place with the contrite and humble to revive them, and with His mercy from generation to generation on those who fear Him who scatters the proud, puts down the mighty, exalts those of low degree, fills the hungry with good things, and sends the rich away empty.
Keeping speech free from evil and deceit belongs to the purity and disciplined character that education should encourage, and it is cited as part of instruction connected with the moral training of youth. Guarding speech from evil and deceit, turning from evil to do good, and seeking peace are presented as the way of life and well-being.
Victory Through Christ
No human strength by itself can master the tongue, and hasty words that misrepresent Christ are overcome only through Christ. When in His strength a person refuses to give voice to the suggestions of Satan, bitterness in the heart dies. Then the Holy Spirit is able to make the tongue a fountain of life-giving speech kept from evil and deceit.
The command is to be turned into prayer, asking God to guard speech from evil and guile. The prayer rests wholly on God's promise with simple, trustful, genuine faith, without presumption and without trusting in self even for a moment. Its longing is to follow on to know the Lord, so that the words of the lips will be right words and the meditations of the heart will be directed toward God. In that reliance there are comfort, peace, and self-control, with words kept right even amid pain and distress.
Obedience calls for constant watchfulness and earnest discipline, with daily self-examination of words and conduct and daily resistance of temptation as a definite part of earnest Christian service. By careful attention and practice even careless speakers put away cheap expressions and defects of manner, tone, and pronunciation, and form the habit of sound, pure, correct speech that represents Christ and edifies others. In times of trial, even when wronged, love for God is to be kept in the heart and wrong endured patiently rather than met with murmuring or retaliation. Harsh, condemning, and defiant speech is to be avoided, and love cherished even toward one who has done wrong.
Faithful Speech Applied
Keeping the tongue from evil and the lips from deceit belongs to preparing for Christ's coming, as part of turning from evil, doing good, and seeking and pursuing peace, under the watch of the Lord over the righteous and His hearing of their prayers. Wisdom from God requires this same guarding of speech against corrupt talk and guile, so that words do not stain purity of thought and action.
Gossip and words that sow discord are forbidden, for they run contrary to Christ's character and show the lack of the reformation and transformed character that accompany true fear of the Lord and departing from evil to do good. Speaking or spreading suspicions that lead believers to think evil of one another is also forbidden, because it causes grief and pain and serves Satan's effort to harm the church. Criticism, judging, condemning, and expressing unkind opinions about the work or motives of others are forbidden, and spreading negative words about those carrying responsibility displeases God and can nearly break up an institution, so that in such cases silence is eloquent.
Children, especially when provoked or when they hear others speaking against someone, are not to join harmful talk but to turn the conversation toward what is cheerful and uplifting, with words following Christ's example from a heart kept in God's love. Believers are to refuse to speak against a brother or sister, addressing a wrong kindly and privately instead, since harmful speech breaks unity and peace. The gift of speech is to be sanctified for God's glory to bless and not injure, refusing to spread evil reports or bring reproach on others, for speaking evil brings reproach on the speaker while loving one's neighbor ends idle, harmful whispering. False principles in dealings with others are likewise forbidden, since such conduct can lead people away from the safe path.
A worker for God must keep lips and mouth truthful and pure, with pure thoughts and a holy life and character, for the voice and tongue are designed by God to be a blessing to others and putting them to a wrong use does much harm. Stimulation from tea that excites the mind to unwise, impure conversation breaks this standard of speaking evil of no one and keeping the lips without guile. Speech must be without deception, with no guile in the lips, no impurity in the heart, and no unkindness in word or attitude, learning now the language of Canaan that will agree with heaven by cultivating grace and love and deep interest in spiritual things, keeping love burning on the heart's altar, and giving thanksgiving from sincere lips. In business, especially in selling property, the tongue must be true with no guile or semblance of untruth, never holding back unfavorable facts nor exaggerating praise to place property in a favorable light and deceive the purchaser in violation of conscience, but maintaining a pure conscience in every transaction with strict honesty and unimpeachable character, with tongue true, eyes true, and actions wholly such as God can commend, because life is lived before a holy God whose eye is ever upon men and knows every work, from whom no unjust dealing can be hidden.
Guarding the tongue preserves peace and prevents strife by not letting individuality become prominent, not insisting on one's own way, leaving individual preferences unexpressed when they would create discord, and yielding one's own opinion unless a question of vital principle is involved. Even winning an argument by harsh words places a heavy burden on others and leaves wounds that are hard to heal, so strife-making matters are never to be introduced into conversation, differences are to be kept to oneself and told only to God, since such talk hurts one's own soul and the souls of others. Serving God with a humble heart includes stopping mischievous and evil speech that causes harm.