Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 September 2026 Proverbs 17:28.
Proverbs 17:28. Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace (keeps silent), is counted (considered) wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.
Oh friends, it’s a somewhat cloudy but warm autumn Tuesday at the end of September. And if you didn’t know that it was autumn, then you’ll certainly know it now, because all the leaves have begun changing colour. I looked out my bedroom window a short while ago and was I ever amazed at the beautiful golden yellow that a couple of trees had already turned in my neighbour’s backyard. And although autumn is the harbinger of winter, we still need to acknowledge it as the most beautiful season; the time when the Lord displays His artists’ palette with a variety of stunning colours.
And today we’re going to look at a very interesting and most applicable scripture for these rowdy and ungodly times in which we’re currently living. It comes from the awesome wisdom of Cousin Sol in Proverbs, where he unequivocally states: ‘Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace (keeps silent), is counted (considered) wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.’ (Prov. 17:28)
Now that’s oh so true my brethren, as most of us have experienced through our long years of life. For we’ve seen so many of our supposed wise fellow human beings spouting off at the mouth, and so proving that they are not wise, but rather foolish. And we’ve also known foolish people, who have kept their mouths shut and thus considered wise. And in a sense they are indeed wise; keeping quiet when you don’t know something is indeed wisdom.
And I like how this overview breaks down that proverb. ‘Meaning and Lesson: Silence Hides Ignorance: When an unwise person stays quiet, others cannot hear their foolish thoughts, so people assume they are smart. Value of Restraint: Speaking too much often leads to mistakes, arguments, or trouble. Choosing not to speak shows self-control. Listening First: Keeping quiet gives you a chance to listen and learn instead of reacting too fast.’ And those are all good reasons for not spouting off at the mouth.
And the last one ‘Listening first,’ ties right into these wise words from James. ‘Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not (does not produce) the righteousness of God.’ (James 1:19-20) Yes friends, man’s anger does not produce God’s righteousness, meaning the way He desires His people to live.
And being swift to hear and slow to speak also provide several other benefits. It teaches us self-control, helps us to stay calm and hopefully fix problems before they get out of control. We also need to pay close attention to what others are saying, trying to understand their point of view, before rushing to reply or getting angry. Waiting before you answer also helps stop arguments and keeps us from saying hurtful things we may later regret.
Believe me friends, those two Bible passages above are of great importance in our Christian lives, if we are to successfully live for Christ. And they all boil down to a few old and clichéd sayings which we all know but don’t pay much attention to in these days of social media, where everybody has an opinion and are ever so willing to share it. We all know the saying about putting our foot in our mouths. But we still do it all the time. What about listening more than you talk? Hn! That’s a no brainer! But we still make the mistake of interrupting others, not giving them a chance to finish their speech before rushing in with our two cents worth.
And in this oh so voluble society of today, talking less and listening more would surely be a step in the right direction, especially for those who claim to believe in and follow Christ! It’s like Cousin Sol says earlier in Proverbs: ‘In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth (restrains) his lips is wise.’ (Prov. 10:19) Yes mih bredrin, there is more likelihood of sin in a multitude of words than in a few choice ones. It’s like Job warned his friends when they began talking in rather unsympathetic terms about why he had suffered his calamity.
He declares: ‘Lo mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it. What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you. Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God. But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value. O that ye would altogether hold your peace (keep silent)! and it should (would) be your wisdom. Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.’ (Job. 13:1-6) Yes friends, that’s one of those instances where Job’s friends should have just kept quiet, instead of ranting on about his sins causing his calamity.
And these later words of Cousin Sol are also true: ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that LOVE it shall eat the fruit thereof.’ (Prov. 18:21) Yes, there is power in our words, for remember the Lord spoke the universe into existence. However, when we LOVE to talk, we will eventually pay the price of our too many words. Oh my people, we know all those things, but yet we allow the enemy to taunt and tempt us into using our tongues indiscriminately. So, let’s hope that all we’ve said today about talking too much will have some positive impact on our future behaviour, for bridling our tongues would be of enormous benefit to our society.
Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration, it now behooves us to share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…words might be wind…but they can cause some very unkind blows…
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