Proverbs 15:28

“The heart of the righteous studieth to answer, etc.] He thinks before he speaks, meditates what he shall say, what answer to give to men; whether in things civil, natural, or religious; and what to return to the Lord when he is reproved by him; or what to say in prayer to him, or by way of thankfulness for mercies received from him; see (<200306>Proverbs 3:6 <350201> Habakkuk 2:1); though our Lord advises his disciples, when summoned before their persecutors, not to meditate beforehand what they should answer, since they should have immediate assistance, (<422114>Luke 21:14); but this was in extraordinary cases; in common ones the observation of the wise man should be attended to. A…”

“(Compare Pro 15:14; Pro 10:11). Caution is the fruit of wisdom; rashness of folly.”

“Contrast the “studying” of the wise before he answers and the hasty babbling of the foolish. The teaching of our Lord Matthew 10:19 presents us with a different and higher precept, resting upon different conditions. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Studieth - He speaks considerately. The mouth - Not the heart; for he rashly speaks what comes into his mouth, without the direction of his heart or conscience. Proverbs 15:30”

“heart: Pro 15:2, Pro 16:23; Kg1 3:23-28; Ecc 5:2, Ecc 5:6; Pe1 3:15 the mouth: Pro 10:19, Pro 13:16, Pro 29:11, Pro 29:20; Ecc 10:12-14; Mat 12:34; Tit 1:10, Tit 1:11; Jam 3:6-8; Pe2 2:18 Proverbs 15:29”

“Two proverbs regarding the righteous and the wicked: 28 The heart of the righteous considereth how to answer right, And the mouth of the godless poureth forth evil. Instead of לענות, the lxx (Syr. and Targ.) imagines אמוּנות πίστεις; Jerome translates, but falsely, obedientiam (from ענה, to bend oneself); Meri thinks on לענה, wormwood, for the heart of the righteous revolves in itself the misery and the vanity of this present life; Hitzig corrects this verse as he does the three preceding: the heart of the righteous thinks on ענוות, a plur. of verb ענוה, which, except in this correction, does not exist. The proverb, as it stands, is, in fineness of expression and sharpness of the contrast,…”