Texts in Conversation
Proverbs 18 says death and life are in the power of the tongue. Sirach reshapes this saying, making speech what earns a person honor or shame which can still lead to their ruin.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Proverbs 18:21
Hebrew Bible
19 A relative offended is harder to reach than a strong city,and disputes are like the barred gates of a fortified citadel. 20 From the fruit of a person’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied; with the product of his lips he will be satisfied. 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love its use will eat its fruit. 22 The one who has found a wife has found what goodness is and obtained a delightful gift from the Lord.
Sirach 5:13
Ben Sira, Ecclesiasticus
Deuterocanon
11 Be quick to hear, but deliberate in answering. 12 If you know what to say, answer your neighbor; but if not, put your hand over your mouth. 13 Honor and dishonor come from speaking, and the tongue of mortals may be their downfall. 14 Do not be called double-tongued and do not lay traps with your tongue; for shame comes to the thief, and severe condemnation to the double-tongued.
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Notes and References
... Like much ancient wisdom literature, Proverbs and Ben Sira share a concern for control of the tongue, which can cause great evils if unchecked. Sirach 5:9–6:1 develops thoughts from the Book of Proverbs. There is one who speaks like thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of wise persons means healing (Proverbs 12:18). Death and life are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21; compare Sirach 37:18). Honor and dishonor are in the power of one who speaks (Sirach 5:13a Hebrew manuscript C); and the tongue of a human being is his downfall (Sirach 5:13b Hebrew manuscript A). ...
Corley, Jeremy
"An Intertextual Study of Proverbs and Ben Sira" in Corley, Jeremy; Skemp, Vincent (ed.) Intertextual Studies in Ben Sira and Tobit: Essays in Honor of Alexander A. Di Lella, O.F.M.
(p. 177) The Catholic Biblical Association of America, 2005
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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