Proverbs 17:7

“Excellent speech becometh not a fool, etc.] A wicked man. Eloquence, or a sublime grand way of speaking, a copiousness and fluency of expression, become not such; because hereby he may be capable of doing more mischief; or such a style is unsuitable to the subject of his discourse, which is nothing but folly and wickedness. The Gospel is excellent speech, sound speech, that cannot be condemned; it treats of excellent things; concerning the person, office, and grace of Christ, and salvation by him; and very unfit is a wicked man to take it into his mouth, talk of it, and declare it; much less do lying lips a prince; they rather become a fool, as excellent speech does a prince; who neither…”

“Excellent speech--(Compare Margin). Such language as ill suits a fool, as lying (ought to suit) a prince (Pro 16:12-13).”

“The margin renderings are more literal and give greater emphasis. What is pointed out is not the unfitness of lying lips for the princely-hearted, but the necessity of harmony, in each case, between character and speech. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Excellent speech - Discourse of high and excellent things. Proverbs 17:8”

“Excellent speech: Heb. A lip of excellency, Pro 26:7; Psa 50:16, Psa 50:17; Mat 7:5 much: Pro 16:10-13, Pro 29:12; Sa2 23:3; Job 34:12; Psa 101:3-5 lying lips: Heb. a lip of lying, Pro 12:19 Proverbs 17:8”

“The proverbs following, Pro 17:7-10, appear to be united acrostically by the succession of the letters ש (שׂ, שׁ) and ת. Pro 17:7 7 It does not become a fool to speak loftily, How much less do lying lips a noble! As at Isa 32:5., נבל and נדיב are placed opposite to one another; the latter is the nobly magnanimous man, the former the man who thinks foolishly and acts profligately, whom it does not become to use lofty words, who thereby makes the impression of his vulgarity so much the more repulsive (cf. Job 2:10). שּׂפת יתר (not יתר, for the word belongs to those which retain their Pathach or Segol, in pausa) is neither elevated (soaring) (Ewald) nor diffuse (Jo. Ernst Jungius in Oetinger:…”