“A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calls for blows. A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul” (Proverbs 18:6-7).
“Any fool can start a quarrel” (Prov. 20:3).
A fool lacks the self-control to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Therefore, he will answer a matter before hearing everything out; this is folly and shame (Prov. 18:3). He will not listen for the purpose of understanding; his sole concern is in expressing his own thoughts (Prov. 18:2). He will not spare his words (Prov. 17:27); he will vent his thoughts and feelings, holding nothing back (Prov. 29:11).
A fool’s tongue is a fire—a world of iniquity—ready and able to set a great forest aflame with a meager amount of kindling (James 3:5-6). Because death and life are in the power of the tongue (Prov. 18:21), the vastly superior course of action for a fool to take is for him to hold his peace (Prov. 17:28) than to open his lips and leave a swath of destruction.
