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THE MESSAGE

Proverbs 18:20

Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach; good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Belly;   Speaking;   Thompson Chain Reference - Appetites;   Power;   Self-Indulgence;   Self-Indulgence-Self-Denial;   The Topic Concordance - Satisfaction;   Speech/communication;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Fruits;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Fruit;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Belly;   Mouth;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for January 15;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
From the fruit of a person’s mouth his stomach is satisfied;he is filled with the product of his lips.
Hebrew Names Version
A man's stomach is filled with the fruit of his mouth. With the harvest of his lips he is satisfied.
King James Version
A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.
English Standard Version
From the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach is satisfied; he is satisfied by the yield of his lips.
New American Standard Bible
With the fruit of a person's mouth his stomach will be satisfied; He will be satisfied with the product of his lips.
New Century Version
People will be rewarded for what they say; they will be rewarded by how they speak.
Amplified Bible
A man's stomach will be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; He will be satisfied with the consequence of his words.
World English Bible
A man's stomach is filled with the fruit of his mouth. With the harvest of his lips he is satisfied.
Geneva Bible (1587)
With the fruite of a mans mouth shall his belly be satisfied, and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.
Legacy Standard Bible
From the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach will be satisfied;With the produce of his lips he will be satisfied.
Berean Standard Bible
From the fruit of his mouth a man's belly is filled; with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied.
Contemporary English Version
Make your words good— you will be glad you did.
Complete Jewish Bible
A person's belly will be filled with the fruit of his mouth; with what his lips produce he will be filled.
Darby Translation
A man's belly is satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; with the increase of his lips is he satisfied.
Easy-to-Read Version
Your words can be as satisfying as fruit, as pleasing as the food that fills your stomach.
George Lamsa Translation
A mans belly shall be satisfied with the fruits of his mouth; and with the fruits of his lips shall he be filled.
Good News Translation
You will have to live with the consequences of everything you say.
Lexham English Bible
From the fruit of a man's mouth, his stomach will be satisfied, as for the yield of his lips, it will satisfy.
Literal Translation
A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; he shall be satisfied with the produce of his lips.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
A mans bely shalbe satisfied with the frute of his owne mouth, and with the increase of his lippes shal he be fylled.
American Standard Version
A man's belly shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth; With the increase of his lips shall he be satisfied.
Bible in Basic English
With the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach will be full; the produce of his lips will be his in full measure.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
A man's belly shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth; with the increase of his lips shall he be satisfied.
King James Version (1611)
A mans belly shall be satisfied with the fruite of his mouth; and with the increase of his lippes shall he be filled.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
A mans belly shalbe satisfied with the fruite of his owne mouth, and with the encrease of his lippes shall he be filled.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
A man fills his belly with the fruits of his mouth; and he shall be satisfied with the fruits of his lips.
English Revised Version
A man's belly shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth; with the increase of his lips shall he be satisfied.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
A mannus wombe schal be fillid of the fruit of his mouth; and the seedis of hise lippis schulen fille hym.
Update Bible Version
A man's belly shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth; With the increase of his lips he shall be satisfied.
Webster's Bible Translation
A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; [and] with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.
New English Translation
From the fruit of a person's mouth his stomach is satisfied, with the product of his lips is he satisfied.
New King James Version
A man's stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled.
New Living Translation
Wise words satisfy like a good meal; the right words bring satisfaction.
New Life Bible
A man's stomach will be filled with the fruit of his mouth. He will be filled with what his lips speak.
New Revised Standard
From the fruit of the mouth one's stomach is satisfied; the yield of the lips brings satisfaction.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Of the fruit of a man's mouth, shall his inmost mind be satisfied, with the product of his lips, shall he be satisfied.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Of the fruit of a man’s mouth shall his belly be satisfied: and the offspring of his lips shall fill him.
Revised Standard Version
From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied; he is satisfied by the yield of his lips.
Young's Literal Translation
From the fruit of a man's mouth is his belly satisfied, [From the] increase of his lips he is satisfied.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
With the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach will be satisfied; He will be satisfied with the product of his lips.

Contextual Overview

20 Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach; good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Proverbs 12:13, Proverbs 12:14, Proverbs 13:2, Proverbs 22:18, Proverbs 22:21, Proverbs 25:11, Proverbs 25:12

Reciprocal: Isaiah 60:9 - unto Hosea 10:13 - eaten John 4:32 - I have

Cross-References

Genesis 4:10
God said, "What have you done! The voice of your brother's blood is calling to me from the ground. From now on you'll get nothing but curses from this ground; you'll be driven from this ground that has opened its arms to receive the blood of your murdered brother. You'll farm this ground, but it will no longer give you its best. You'll be a homeless wanderer on Earth."
Genesis 13:13
The people of Sodom were evil—flagrant sinners against God .
Isaiah 5:7
Do you get it? The vineyard of God -of-the-Angel-Armies is the country of Israel. All the men and women of Judah are the garden he was so proud of. He looked for a crop of justice and saw them murdering each other. He looked for a harvest of righteousness and heard only the moans of victims.
Jeremiah 14:7
We know we're guilty. We've lived bad lives— but do something, God . Do it for your sake! Time and time again we've betrayed you. No doubt about it—we've sinned against you. Hope of Israel! Our only hope! Israel's last chance in this trouble! Why are you acting like a tourist, taking in the sights, here today and gone tomorrow? Why do you just stand there and stare, like someone who doesn't know what to do in a crisis? But God , you are, in fact, here, here with us! You know who we are—you named us! Don't leave us in the lurch.
James 5:4
All the workers you've exploited and cheated cry out for judgment. The groans of the workers you used and abused are a roar in the ears of the Master Avenger. You've looted the earth and lived it up. But all you'll have to show for it is a fatter than usual corpse. In fact, what you've done is condemn and murder perfectly good persons, who stand there and take it.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth,.... With his own words and discourses, when they are prudent, pious, and savoury; when they are with grace, and minister it; they are satisfying to himself, to his own mind and conscience, and to his family; to all within his house, which is, as it were, his belly; but, if otherwise, it will not be profitable nor satisfying to either; and therefore, if a man would keep conscience easy, and be useful to others, he ought to take care what he says; see Proverbs 12:14;

[and] with the increase of his lips shall he be filled; the same thing as before, expressed in different words, alluding to the sowing, of seed in the earth, and the increase of it; as a man sows he reaps, and enjoys the fruits of his labour; according to what a man sows with his lips, such is his harvest he is afterwards a partaker of.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The general sense is plain. A man must for good or evil take the consequence of his words, as well as his deeds. Compare the marginal reference.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 18:20. With the fruit of his mouth — Our own words frequently shape our good or evil fortune in life.


 
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