Wisdom and Folly

Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips. 

Ecclesiastes 10:12 NIV

Yesterdays blog served as a reminder to guard our mouths and our tongues.

Ecclesiastes aligns with Proverbs 21:23 NIV. Its linguistic priority focuses on how the wise are gracious in their use of words as well as their actions

The key part of the verse is the comparison made via the word 'but' (Beware the Underlying Truth) which serves as a linguistic reminder of how foolish words can result in negative outcomes.

Whenever we see the word 'but' it's helpful to note the comparison being made and consider why. It often serves to reinforce the message. Here, the verse could have said, 'Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious' and made sense. The additional information increases the importance of the message in context.

"A fool thinks himself to be wise but a wise man knows himself to be a fool." - William Shakespeare.