Proverbs 18:4 (LSB)

Passage

The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; The fountain of wisdom is a flowing brook.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 18:2 A fool does not delight in discernment, But only in revealing his own heart.

Proverbs 18:3 When a wicked man comes, despising also comes, And with disgrace comes reproach.

Proverbs 18:4 The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; The fountain of wisdom is a flowing brook.

Proverbs 18:5 To show partiality to the wicked is not good, Nor to thrust aside the righteous in judgment.

Proverbs 18:6 A fool’s lips come with strife, And his mouth calls for beatings.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "words", "mouth", "deep", "waters", "fountain", "wisdom", "flowing", and "brook". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "words" and "mouth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "When a wicked man comes despising also..." into verse 5's "To show partiality to the wicked is...", so "words" and "mouth" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "words" and "mouth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.