Proverbs 15:1

“A soft answer turneth away wrath, etc.] Mild words, gentle expressions, delivered with kindness and tenderness, humility and submission; these will work upon a man’s passions, weaken his resentments, and break and scatter the storm of wrath raised in his breast, just breaking forth in a very boisterous and blustering manner; so high winds are sometimes laid by soft showers. Thus the Ephraimites were pacified by Gideon’s mild answer; and David by Abigail’s very submissive and respectful address, (<070801>Judges 8:1-3 <092525>1 Samuel 25:25-32); but grievous words stir up anger; such as are rough and menacing, scornful and sneering, reproachful and reviling, proud, haughty, and overbearing;…”

“(Pro. 15:1-33) soft--tender or gentle. turneth . . . wrath--from any one. stir up--as a smouldering fire is excited.”

“15:1 Moderating emotions and suiting them to the context helps others listen to what we say without reacting.”

“soft: Pro 25:15; Jdg 8:1-3; Sa1 25:21-33 grievous: Pro 15:18, Pro 10:12, Pro 28:25, Pro 29:22; Jdg 12:3-6; Sa1 25:10, Sa1 25:11, Sa1 25:21, Sa1 25:22; Sa2 19:43; Kg1 12:13-16 Proverbs 15:2”

“We take these verses together as forming a group which begins with a proverb regarding the good and evil which flows from the tongue, and closes with a proverb regarding the treasure in which blessing is found, and that in which no blessing is found. Pro 15:1 1 A soft answer turneth away wrath, And a bitter word stirreth up anger. In the second line, the common word for anger (אף, from the breathing with the nostrils, Pro 14:17) is purposely placed, but in the first, that which denotes anger in the highest degree (חמה from יחם, cogn. חמם, Arab. hamiya, to glow, like שׁנה from ישׁן): a mild, gentle word turns away the heat of anger (excandescentiam), puts it back, cf. Pro 25:15. The Dagesh in…”