Proverbs 18:20 (YLT)

Passage

From the fruit of a man's mouth is his belly satisfied, <FI>From the<Fi> increase of his lips he is satisfied.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 18:18 The lot causeth contentions to cease, And between the mighty it separateth.

Proverbs 18:19 A brother transgressed against is as a strong city, And contentions as the bar of a palace.

Proverbs 18:20 From the fruit of a man's mouth is his belly satisfied, <FI>From the<Fi> increase of his lips he is satisfied.

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life <FI>are<Fi> in the power of the tongue, And those loving it eat its fruit.

Proverbs 18:22 <FI> Whoso<Fi> hath found a wife hath found good, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "fruit", "man's", "mouth", "belly", "satisfied", "increase", and "lips". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "fruit" and "man's", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "A brother transgressed against is as a..." into verse 21's "Death and life FI are Fi in...", so "fruit" and "man's" 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 "fruit" and "man's" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.