Proverbs 10:20

20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the mind of the wicked is of little worth.

Proverbs 10:20 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 10:20

The tongue of the just [is as] choice silver
Which utters things precious, pure, pleasant, and profitable; things for worth and value as choice silver; the doctrines of the Gospel, the power of which he has felt upon his heart; the precious promises of it, which have been applied unto him; and the rich experience of grace he has been favoured with: things pure and incorrupt, like silver free from dross; as the doctrines of grace, fetched out of the mines of the sacred Scripture, free from the dross of error, without any human mixture; consistent and all of a piece, and which tend to purity of heart and life; things the reverse of a corrupt communication, nothing filthy and unclean; a pure language, the language of Canaan; the language of repentance, faith, and love, of prayer and thankfulness: things which are grateful and acceptable, are with grace, and minister grace to the hearers; things profitable and edifying; for the righteous man's mouth speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of judgment; and his lips feed many, as in ( Proverbs 10:21 ) ; see ( Psalms 37:30 ) ; the heart of the wicked [is] little worth;
good for nothing, as the Vulgate Latin version. The righteous man's tongue is better than the wicked man's heart; there is no good thing in his heart naturally; all manner of evil is in it, and comes out of it; no sin can be named but what is in his heart; all that is in it is sinful; the thoughts of it, and the imagination of his thoughts, are only evil, and that continually; the affections are inordinate, and set on sinful lusts and pleasures; the mind and conscience are defiled with sin; the understanding is darkened with it, and the will is obstinate and perverse, and bent upon it: his heart is wicked, and exceedingly wicked; it is wickedness itself, very wickedness, desperately wicked, incurably so without the grace of God. Such therefore know not their hearts who say they have good hearts; and they are fools that trust in them: this shows the necessity of regeneration, and that powerful and efficacious grace is requisite to it.

Proverbs 10:20 In-Context

18 Lying lips conceal hatred, and whoever utters slander is a fool.

19 When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but the prudent are restrained in speech.

20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the mind of the wicked is of little worth.

21 The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense.

22 The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.