Proverbs 15:7 (WEB)

Passage

The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so with the heart of fools.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 15:5 A fool despises his father’s correction, but he who heeds reproof shows prudence.

Proverbs 15:6 In the house of the righteous is much treasure, but the income of the wicked brings trouble.

Proverbs 15:7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so with the heart of fools.

Proverbs 15:8 The sacrifice made by the wicked is an abomination to Yahweh, but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

Proverbs 15:9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to Yahweh, but he loves him who follows after righteousness.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lips", "wise", "spread", "knowledge", "heart", and "fools". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lips" and "wise", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "In the house of the righteous is..." into verse 8's "The sacrifice made by the wicked is...", so "lips" and "wise" 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 "lips" and "wise" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.