Proverbs 18 · Verse 4

Proverbs 18:4

The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.
Proverbs 18:4, King James Version

Proverbs 18:4 in other translations

BSBThe words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
WEBThe words of a man’s mouth are like deep waters. The fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook.
ASVThe words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters; The wellspring of wisdom is as a flowing brook.
YLTDeep waters are the words of a man's mouth, The fountain of wisdom is a flowing brook.
DARBYThe words of a man's mouth are deep waters, and the fountain of wisdom is a gushing brook.
BBEThe words of a man's mouth are like deep waters: the fountain of wisdom is like a flowing stream.
WebsterThe words of a man's mouth are as deep waters, and the well-spring of wisdom as a flowing brook.

What does Proverbs 18:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. Wise speech is like an exhaustless stream of benefit.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 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. 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. See the note on Psa 36:9; Pro 10:11, etc.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
The well-spring of wisdom in the heart of a believer, continually supplies words of wisdom.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Proverbs 18:4 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

מַ֣יִםMa.yim[are] watersH4325
עֲ֭מֻקִּים'A.mu.kimdeepH6013
דִּבְרֵ֣יdiv.Rei[the] words ofH1697
פִי\־fi-[the] mouth ofH6310
אִ֑ישׁ'Isha personH376
נַ֥חַלNa.chala wadiH5158
נֹ֝בֵ֗עַno.Ve.a'flowingH5042
מְק֣וֹרme.Kora fountain ofH4726
חָכְמָֽה\׃chokh.mahwisdomH2451

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Proverbs 18:4

  • Proverbs 20:5

    Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.

  • Proverbs 10:11

    The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.

  • Colossians 4:6

    Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

  • John 4:14

    But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

  • Proverbs 13:14

    The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

  • John 7:38-39

    He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

  • Colossians 3:16

    Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

  • Matthew 12:34

    O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

  • Psalms 78:2

    I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

  • Proverbs 16:22

    Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
words.
10:11; 13:14; 16:22; 20:5; Mt 12:34; Joh 4:14; 7:38,39; Col 3:16; 4:6
the wellspring.
Ps 78:2

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Proverbs 18:3

    When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach.

  • Proverbs 18:4

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

  • Proverbs 18:5

    It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment.

Read all of Proverbs 18

Proverbs 18:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Aguas profundas son las palabras de la boca del hombre; y arroyo revertiente, la fuente de la sabiduría.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Les paroles de la bouche d’un homme sont des eaux profondes, et la fontaine de la sagesse est un torrent qui coule.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Die Worte aus dem Munde eines Mannes sind tiefe Wasser, ein sprudelnder Bach, ein Born der Weisheit.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Aqua profunda verba ex ore viri, et torrens redundans fons sapientiæ.