Proverbs 15:2
ContextNETBible | The tongue of the wise 1 treats knowledge correctly, 2 but the mouth of the fool spouts out 3 folly. |
XREF | Ps 45:1; Ps 59:7; Pr 12:23; Pr 13:16; Pr 15:23,28; Pr 16:23; Pr 25:11,12; Ec 10:12,13; Isa 50:4 |
NET © Notes |
1 sn The contrast is between the “tongue of the wise” and the “mouth of the fool.” Both expressions are metonymies of cause; the subject matter is what they say. How wise people are can be determined from what they say. 2 tn Or “makes knowledge acceptable” (so NASB). The verb תֵּיטִיב (tetiv, Hiphil imperfect of יָטַב [yatav, “to be good”]) can be translated “to make good” or “to treat in a good [or, excellent] way” (C. H. Toy, Proverbs [ICC], 303). M. Dahood, however, suggests emending the text to תֵּיטִיף (tetif) which is a cognate of נָטַף (nataf, “drip”), and translates “tongues of the sages drip with knowledge” (Proverbs and Northwest Semitic Philology, 32-33). But this change is gratuitous and unnecessary. 3 sn The Hiphil verb יַבִּיעַ (yabia’) means “to pour out; to emit; to cause to bubble; to belch forth.” The fool bursts out with reckless utterances (cf. TEV “spout nonsense”). |