The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
This wise saying is about “the mouth of” two major characters in Proverbs – “the righteous” and “the wicked.” Of course, the real issue here is actually the words they speak out of their mouths.
“The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life.” Words from the heart of a righteous person are a continually-flowing source of life which would be helpful and supportive of others. That sounds pretty good!
“The mouth of the wicked conceals violence” might also sounds like a good thing. But the idea of “concealing” doesn’t. The wicked person’s words are actually hiding something – “violence” or “destruction” or just plain “wrong” in their heart!
So this proverb suggests that it’s very important to understand which person is talking to us. Once we know, we’ll be much better equipped to handle both their words and even the motivations behind them.
Of course, it would also be a good thing if I would apply the same reality check to my own words and my own heart, too!