Proverbs 14:3

“In the mouth of the foolish [is] a rod of pride, etc.] A proud tongue, or a tongue speaking proud and haughty things; with which foolish or wicked men smite others and wound and hurt their reputation and credit, and in the issue hurt themselves also; their tongue is not only a rod to others, but a scourge to themselves, or is the cause of evil coming upon them; such was the tongue of Pharaoh, as Jarchi on the place observes, (<020502>Exodus 5:2); and of those the psalmist speaks of, (<197309>Psalm 73:9); and particularly of antichrist, whose mouth is opened in blasphemies against God, and his tabernacle, and his saints, (<661305>Revelation 13:5,6); but the lips of the wise shall preserve…”

“rod of pride--that is, the punishment of pride, which they evince by their words. The words of the wise procure good to them.”

“A rod of pride - i. e., The pride shown in his speech is as a rod with which he strikes down others and himself. return to 'Top of Page'”

“A rod - His insolent speeches as they are like a rod, offensive to others, so, they make a rod for their own backs. Proverbs 14:4”

“14:3 A fool’s word can be used against him.”

“the mouth: Pro 18:6, Pro 21:24, Pro 22:8, Pro 28:25; Sa1 2:3; Job 5:21; Psa 12:3, Psa 31:18, Psa 52:1, Psa 52:2; Psa 57:4; Dan 7:20; Jam 3:5, Jam 3:6; Pe2 2:18; Rev 15:5, Rev 15:6 but: Pro 12:6; Rom 10:9, Rom 10:10; Rev 3:10, Rev 12:11 Proverbs 14:4”

“3 In the mouth of the fool is a switch of pride; But the lips of the wise preserve them. The noun חטר (Aram. חוּטרא, Arab. khiṭr), which besides here occurs only at Isa 11:1, meaning properly a brandishing (from חטר = Arab. khatr, to brandish, to move up and down or hither and thither, whence âlkhṭtâr, the brandisher, poet. the spear), concretely, the young elastic twig, the switch, i.e., the slender flexible shoot. Luther translates, "fools speak tyrannically," which is the briefer rendering of his earlier translation, "in the mouth of the fool is the sceptre of pride;" but although the Targum uses חוטרא of the king's sceptre and also of the prince's staff, yet here for this the usual…”