Proverbs 10:11 Commentary and Bible Study

Part of this proverb repeats verse 6. Some want to reverse the meaning here and render it, ‘the mouth of the wicked covers violence’, on the grounds that both parts of the verse then speak of the effect of words on others, not on the speaker. But while it is true that the mouth of the righteous is viewed here as bringing blessing to others, the point of the contrast is that the mouth of the wicked is held back from doing any good to others because it is covered on account of shame – the same meaning as in verse 6. It is hard to see why Solomon should use exactly the same words and expect us to turn them the other way round. That shame arises from violence, or as the word may also be translated, cruelty, injustice. Literal violence may not be present in every case, but the violent are made to stand for all those in a world that is hostile to God and his people. The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, because out of his mouth comes what is in his heart, and the Lord has put eternal life in him. Therefore he speaks edifying words, knowledgeable words, truthful words, kind words, and helpful words; one good thing after another comes out of his mouth. When Solomon has previously used the illustration of a well, he has used it in a hospitality setting. The ideal is to have such a well that you can be the benefactor of the neighbourhood in times of trouble and the people stream along to your place and they get water from the well, and then the figure, you remember, cascades over and he says, indeed your well will be fountains in the streets. The righteous man knows the value of what is in his heart which the world cannot see, and he cannot keep it to himself. How few can be relied on to give faithful advice and not to flatter or deceive. To find a truly righteous man in this world of ignorance of God is like finding a well in a desert. He brings us something from the Lord and shows he has been in touch with the fountain of life. Conversation with such is refreshing because they are able to help us think through difficult issues, and they convey to us an outlook that comes from firm faith and hope within them. The righteous will also speak of Christ and of salvation whenever the opportunity arises, and in this sense also their words are a well of life. But a bad conscience will not allow the wicked to say anything of substance to us, for if they could help others, they would first have helped themselves. What they do say lacks wisdom for it does not start with the fear of the Lord.