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Read the Bible

King James Version

Proverbs 18:4

The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Quotations and Allusions;   Speaking;   The Topic Concordance - Speech/communication;   Wisdom;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Brooks;   Fountains and Springs;   Water;   Wells;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Water;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Old Testament (Ii. Christ as Student and Interpreter of).;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Brook;   Wellspring;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Wellspring;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Deep;  

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
The words of a man's mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The words of a mans mouth are like deepe waters, and the welspring of wisdome is like a flowing riuer.
Christian Standard Bible®
The words of a person’s mouth are deep waters,a flowing river, a fountain of wisdom.
Hebrew Names Version
The words of a man's mouth are like deep waters. The fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook.
Easy-to-Read Version
Words from wise people are like water bubbling up from a deep well—the well of wisdom.
Amplified Bible
The words of a man's mouth are like deep waters [copious and difficult to fathom]; The fountain of [mature, godly] wisdom is like a bubbling stream [sparkling, fresh, pure, and life-giving].
American Standard Version
The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters; The wellspring of wisdom is as a flowing brook.
Contemporary English Version
Words of wisdom are a stream that flows from a deep fountain.
Complete Jewish Bible
The words of a man's mouth are deep water, a gushing torrent, a fountain of wisdom.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters; a flowing brook, a fountain of wisdom.
King James Version (1611)
The words of a mans mouth, are as deepe waters, and the well-spring of wisedome as a flowing brooke.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
A word in the heart of a man is a deep water, and a river and fountain of life spring forth.
English Revised Version
The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters; the wellspring of wisdom is as a flowing brook.
Berean Standard Bible
The words of a man's mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
Lexham English Bible
Deep waters are words of the mouth of a man; a gushing stream is a fountain of wisdom.
Literal Translation
The words of a man's mouth are like deep waters, the fountain of wisdom like a flowing stream.
New Century Version
Spoken words can be like deep water, but wisdom is like a flowing stream.
New English Translation
The words of a person's mouth are like deep waters, and the fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook.
New King James Version
The words of a man's mouth are deep waters; The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook.
New Living Translation
Wise words are like deep waters; wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook.
New Life Bible
The words of a man's mouth are deep waters. Wisdom comes like a flowing river making a pleasant noise.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Deep waters, are the words of a man's mouth, - a bubbling brook, the well-spring of wisdom.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Words from the mouth of a man are as deep water: and the fountain of wisdom is an overflowing stream.
George Lamsa Translation
The words of a mans mouth are like deep waters; and the fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook.
Good News Translation
A person's words can be a source of wisdom, deep as the ocean, fresh as a flowing stream.
New American Standard Bible
The words of a person's mouth are deep waters; The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The wordes of a [wyse] mans mouth are lyke deepe waters: and the well of wisdome is like a full streame.
New Revised Standard
The words of the mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a gushing stream.
Darby Translation
The words of a man's mouth are deep waters, [and] the fountain of wisdom is a gushing brook.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Deep watir is the wordis of the mouth of a man; and a stronde fletinge ouer is the welle of wisdom.
Young's Literal Translation
Deep waters [are] the words of a man's mouth, The fountain of wisdom [is] a flowing brook.
World English Bible
The words of a man's mouth are like deep waters. The fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook.
Revised Standard Version
The words of a man's mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a gushing stream.
Update Bible Version
The words of a man's mouth are [as] deep waters; The wellspring of wisdom is [as] a flowing brook.
Webster's Bible Translation
The words of a man's mouth [are as] deep waters, [and] the well-spring of wisdom [as] a flowing brook.
Bible in Basic English
The words of a man's mouth are like deep waters: the fountain of wisdom is like a flowing stream.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The wordes of a mas mouth are like depe waters, and the well of wy?dome is like a full streame.
THE MESSAGE
Many words rush along like rivers in flood, but deep wisdom flows up from artesian springs.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The words of a man's mouth are deep waters; The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
Legacy Standard Bible
The words of a man's mouth are deep waters;The fountain of wisdom is a flowing brook.

Contextual Overview

4 The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

words: Proverbs 10:11, Proverbs 13:14, Proverbs 16:22, Proverbs 20:5, Matthew 12:34, John 4:14, John 7:38, John 7:39, Colossians 3:16, Colossians 4:6

the wellspring: Psalms 78:2

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 9:2 - all Proverbs 18:21 - Death Matthew 13:52 - which

Cross-References

Genesis 18:5
And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
Genesis 18:15
Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
Genesis 19:2
And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
Genesis 24:32
And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men's feet that were with him.
Genesis 43:24
And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.
1 Samuel 25:41
And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.
Luke 7:44
And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
1 Timothy 5:10
Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The words of a man's mouth [are as] deep waters,.... The words of a great and mighty man; of an excellent and valuable man, as Jarchi; or of a wise man, as Aben Ezra. The doctrines which such a man has imbibed, and his heart is full of and his mouth utters, are like to "waters", pure, purifying, and refreshing; to "deep waters", which make no noise, and cannot be easily fathomed: such are the deep mysteries of grace, the wisdom of God in a mystery, spoken among them that are perfect; of which a good man makes no boast, but humbly declares; out of the abundance of his heart, his mouth speaks;

[and] the wellspring of wisdom [as] a flowing brook; there is a spring of spiritual wisdom and knowledge in him; a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting life; and from thence it flows freely and constantly; communicating itself liberally unto others, and ministering grace to the hearers, for their edification.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The parallelism of the two clauses is probably one of contrast. If so, the proverb is a comparison between all teaching from without and that of the light within. “The words of a man’s mouth” are dark as the “deep waters” of a pool, or tank (“deep waters” being associated in the Old Testament with the thought of darkness and mystery; compare Proverbs 20:5; Psalms 69:2; Ecclesiastes 7:24); but “the wellspring of wisdom is as a flowing brook,” bright and clear. The verse presents a contrast like that of Jeremiah 2:13.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 18:4. The words of a man's mouth — That is, the wise sayings of a wise man are like deep waters; howsoever much you pump or draw off, you do not appear to lessen them.

The well-spring of wisdom — Where there is a sound understanding, and a deep, well-informed mind, its wisdom and its counsels are an incessant stream, מקור חכמה mekor chochmah, "the vein of wisdom," ever throwing out its healthy streams: but מקור חיים mekor chaiyim, "the vein of LIVES," is the reading of eight of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS., and is countenanced by the Septuagint, πηγη ζωης, "the fountain of life." And so the Arabic, [Arabic]. This is the more likely to be the true reading, because the figure of the heart propelling the blood through the great aorta, to send it to all parts of the animal system, is a favourite with Solomon, as it was with his father, David. Psalms 36:9; "Proverbs 10:11", &c.


 
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