Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.
Keeping the mouth and the tongue under guard keeps the soul from troubles. That guarding means subduing the words that stir up strife and holding back speech that would do harm. Loose, uncontrolled talk also stands in the way of sincere prayer. Taken together with the next verse, the warning is that proud and wrathful speech marks a person as a scorner.
Where believers were hunted for their faith, one indiscreet word uttered within enemies' hearing could bring danger not only on the speaker but on many others. For that reason the young were trained to be careful in speech. They were taught to understand the wisdom of silence.
Keeping the mouth and the tongue under guard keeps the soul from troubles. That guarding means subduing the words that stir up strife and holding back speech that would do harm. Loose, uncontrolled talk also stands in the way of sincere prayer. Taken together with the next verse, the warning is that proud and wrathful speech marks a person as a scorner.
Where believers were hunted for their faith, one indiscreet word uttered within enemies' hearing could bring danger not only on the speaker but on many others. For that reason the young were trained to be careful in speech. They were taught to understand the wisdom of silence.