Pro 10:31 | KD | STEP | For the third time the favourite theme already handled in three appendixes is taken up: The mouth of the righteous bringeth forth wisdom, And the tongue of falsehood shall be rooted up. Regarding the biblical comparison of thoughts with branches, and of words with flowers and fruits, vid ., my Psychol . p. 181; and regarding the root נב (with its weaker אב), to swell up and to spring up (to well, grow, etc.), vid ., what is said in the Comm. on Genesis on נביא, and in Isaiah on עוב. We use the word נוּב of that which sprouts or grows, and נבב of that which causes that something sprout; but also נוב may, after the manner of verbs of being full ( ), of flowing (Gesen. §138, 1, Anm. 2), take the object accus. of that from which anything sprouts ( ), or which sprouting, it raises up and brings forth (cf. ). The mouth of the righteous sprouts, brings forth (in , without a figure, יהגּה, i.e. , utters) wisdom, which in all relations knows how to find out that which is truly good, and suitable for the end intended, and happily to unriddle difficult complications. The conception of wisdom, in itself practical (from חכם, to be thick = solid, firm), here gains such contents by the contrast: the tongue - whose character and fruit is falsehood, which has its delight in intentional perversions of fact, and thus increaseth complications ( vid ., regarding תּהפּכות, ) - is rooted up, whence it follows as regards the mouth of the righteous, that it continues for ever with that its wholesome fruit.

‏ Proverbs 10:31

For the third time the favourite theme already handled in three appendixes is taken up:

The mouth of the righteous bringeth forth wisdom,

And the tongue of falsehood shall be rooted up.

Regarding the biblical comparison of thoughts with branches, and of words with flowers and fruits, vid., my Psychol. p. 181; and regarding the root נב (with its weaker אב), to swell up and to spring up (to well, grow, etc.), vid., what is said in the Comm. on Genesis on נביא, and in Isaiah on עוב. We use the word נוּב of that which sprouts or grows, and נבב of that which causes that something sprout; but also נוב may, after the manner of verbs of being full (Pro 3:10), of flowing (Gesen. §138, 1, Anm. 2), take the object accus. of that from which anything sprouts (Pro 24:31), or which sprouting, it raises up and brings forth (cf. Isa 57:19). The mouth of the righteous sprouts, brings forth (in Psa 37:30, without a figure, יהגּה, i.e., utters) wisdom, which in all relations knows how to find out that which is truly good, and suitable for the end intended, and happily to unriddle difficult complications. The conception of wisdom, in itself practical (from חכם, to be thick = solid, firm), here gains such contents by the contrast: the tongue - whose character and fruit is falsehood, which has its delight in intentional perversions of fact, and thus increaseth complications (vid., regarding תּהפּכות, Pro 2:12) - is rooted up, whence it follows as regards the mouth of the righteous, that it continues for ever with that its wholesome fruit.