Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
Their throat, tongue, and lips picture speech that is corrupt and deceitful and deadly, doing harm to others and bringing no pleasure to God. It stands in a wider portrayal of universal unrighteousness where none are righteous or seek God or do good, with mouths full of cursing, feet swift to shed blood, ways of destruction and misery, no knowledge of peace, and no fear of God. It describes the moral condition now existing in the world and in the church, brought about by making void the law of God. That voiding is done by men entrusted with the oracles of God who break the law themselves and teach others to break it, deceiving the people as the leaders in Israel did in Christ's day. What matters most is that smooth and honeyed words can hide venom that poisons feeling, breeds bitterness, spreads falsehood and slander, and defiles many, whether by talebearers who blacken character for selfish ends, by men in high trust who cover injustice and oppression while sowing suspicion and rebellion, or by the careless servant who has lost the power of the message of Christ's coming and turns to censuring and mistreating fellow servants.
Meaning and Present Setting
The throat like an open grave, the tongue practicing deceit, and the lips concealing the venom of asps portray speech that is corrupt, deceitful, deadly and harmful. Such speech dishonors God and gives Him no pleasure, standing as an offense to Him and the opposite of good sound sense from lips worked upon by the Holy Spirit. The verse belongs to a larger description of universal unrighteousness in which none are righteous, none understand or seek God, and none do good. That same description adds mouths full of cursing, feet swift to shed blood, destruction and misery in the ways, no knowledge of the way of peace, and no fear of God before the eyes.
The verse describes the present moral condition and present state of things existing in the world and the church today. This terrible condition has been brought about by making void the law of God. The voiding of the law happens as men who have the oracles of God break the law themselves and teach others to do the same. In doing so they deceive the people, like the leaders in Israel in Christ's day.
Poisonous Speech in Practice
Speech can sound smooth while carrying hidden venom that poisons the feelings of others and breeds bitterness that defiles many. Smooth, honeyed words can hide a curse and spread harmful falsehood, and slander of this kind travels quickly, persists, and reappears even when it is challenged. The poison under the lips is a deceitful, harmful tongue that spreads falsehoods, distorts what is heard, and uses speech to provoke quarrels and damage those around. It is spreading lies and slander, blackening another person's character to achieve selfish ends, and gathering up damaging gossip, which reveals cherished corruption and calls for curative correction.
The same poison appears in men entrusted with talents and high positions in God's cause who pervert them to deceive and oppress. They speak smooth words that weak followers mistake for truth and righteousness, while hiding deadly deceit that covers injustice, fraud, robbery, and oppression. Under pretense of superior light and understanding of institutional matters they sow suspicion and deception and stir rebellion against the work of the Lord and the light of Christ, and they boast of their works. The image also applies to the evil and careless servant who, after losing the spirit and power of the message about Christ's coming, attacks, censures, and mistreats fellow servants. Such censuring speech reveals unbelief and a course of turning away and increasing conformity to the world.
Deceitful words become poisonous when scoffers speak sharply and cleverly, with lies and cunning supplied by Satan, leading listeners toward doubt and skepticism. They should be treated kindly, but controversy should be avoided and they should not be given an audience. The corrupt, deceitful, harmful speech dishonors God and gives Him no pleasure, being the opposite of good sound sense from lips worked upon by the Holy Spirit. It applies to those freed from the slavery of sin at the cost of His own life if, after coming to school, they dishonor God by cheap common talk, riotous actions, disorder, and impropriety. If they continue, it will be said of them and borne as a record to heaven, proving there is no fear of God before their eyes and that they have received no real satisfaction. The poison of asps also describes infidel books, whose contents can poison the mind, weaken religious faith, and lead it into skepticism.
Their throat, tongue, and lips picture speech that is corrupt and deceitful and deadly, doing harm to others and bringing no pleasure to God. It stands in a wider portrayal of universal unrighteousness where none are righteous or seek God or do good, with mouths full of cursing, feet swift to shed blood, ways of destruction and misery, no knowledge of peace, and no fear of God. It describes the moral condition now existing in the world and in the church, brought about by making void the law of God. That voiding is done by men entrusted with the oracles of God who break the law themselves and teach others to break it, deceiving the people as the leaders in Israel did in Christ's day. What matters most is that smooth and honeyed words can hide venom that poisons feeling, breeds bitterness, spreads falsehood and slander, and defiles many, whether by talebearers who blacken character for selfish ends, by men in high trust who cover injustice and oppression while sowing suspicion and rebellion, or by the careless servant who has lost the power of the message of Christ's coming and turns to censuring and mistreating fellow servants.
Meaning and Present Setting
The throat like an open grave, the tongue practicing deceit, and the lips concealing the venom of asps portray speech that is corrupt, deceitful, deadly and harmful. Such speech dishonors God and gives Him no pleasure, standing as an offense to Him and the opposite of good sound sense from lips worked upon by the Holy Spirit. The verse belongs to a larger description of universal unrighteousness in which none are righteous, none understand or seek God, and none do good. That same description adds mouths full of cursing, feet swift to shed blood, destruction and misery in the ways, no knowledge of the way of peace, and no fear of God before the eyes.
The verse describes the present moral condition and present state of things existing in the world and the church today. This terrible condition has been brought about by making void the law of God. The voiding of the law happens as men who have the oracles of God break the law themselves and teach others to do the same. In doing so they deceive the people, like the leaders in Israel in Christ's day.
Poisonous Speech in Practice
Speech can sound smooth while carrying hidden venom that poisons the feelings of others and breeds bitterness that defiles many. Smooth, honeyed words can hide a curse and spread harmful falsehood, and slander of this kind travels quickly, persists, and reappears even when it is challenged. The poison under the lips is a deceitful, harmful tongue that spreads falsehoods, distorts what is heard, and uses speech to provoke quarrels and damage those around. It is spreading lies and slander, blackening another person's character to achieve selfish ends, and gathering up damaging gossip, which reveals cherished corruption and calls for curative correction.
The same poison appears in men entrusted with talents and high positions in God's cause who pervert them to deceive and oppress. They speak smooth words that weak followers mistake for truth and righteousness, while hiding deadly deceit that covers injustice, fraud, robbery, and oppression. Under pretense of superior light and understanding of institutional matters they sow suspicion and deception and stir rebellion against the work of the Lord and the light of Christ, and they boast of their works. The image also applies to the evil and careless servant who, after losing the spirit and power of the message about Christ's coming, attacks, censures, and mistreats fellow servants. Such censuring speech reveals unbelief and a course of turning away and increasing conformity to the world.
Deceitful words become poisonous when scoffers speak sharply and cleverly, with lies and cunning supplied by Satan, leading listeners toward doubt and skepticism. They should be treated kindly, but controversy should be avoided and they should not be given an audience. The corrupt, deceitful, harmful speech dishonors God and gives Him no pleasure, being the opposite of good sound sense from lips worked upon by the Holy Spirit. It applies to those freed from the slavery of sin at the cost of His own life if, after coming to school, they dishonor God by cheap common talk, riotous actions, disorder, and impropriety. If they continue, it will be said of them and borne as a record to heaven, proving there is no fear of God before their eyes and that they have received no real satisfaction. The poison of asps also describes infidel books, whose contents can poison the mind, weaken religious faith, and lead it into skepticism.