Hold Your Tongue (Proverbs 10-11)

The tongue is a common theme in the book of Proverbs. More than that, hold your tongue is a common theme in the book of Proverbs. 10:19 summarizes the broad point here. It says: "When words are many, sin is not absent; but he who holds his tongue is wise." Clearly, there is a virtue in not saying much.

This is something that we as a society need to learn. I think our culture is largely afraid of silence. That is why we have TVs and radios and Ipods that are blasting all the time. It's also why we talk so much. To us, silence isn't golden. It is just plain awkward. The Bible, though, calls us to a different way of regarding silence. Proverbs reminds us that there are times that we just don't need to speak.

A good example of such a time is Proverbs 11:12. "A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue." If we have a negative thought about someone, we don't have to share it. Somehow, we feel compelled to always speak our minds about the failings and shortcomings of others. Proverbs suggests a different tact. It agrees with my grandmother who used to say: "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."