📖 Biblical Definition
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue" is Proverbs 18:21’s diagnostic: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." The most concentrated biblical statement of speech-power. Words can give life or take it. The encouraging father builds the child’s soul; the demeaning father wounds it for life. The pastor’s sermon either feeds the flock or starves them. The husband’s tone with his wife either kindles love or freezes it. The friend’s honest counsel either rescues the brother or accelerates his fall. "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver" (Proverbs 25:11). Speak life.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
Prov 18:21: the tongue's words give life or take it.
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Proverbs 18:21's most concentrated biblical statement on the power of words: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." The wisdom that words are not neutral — they actually do work, for life or for death. James 3 develops the theme into a treatise: the tongue is the hardest member to tame, sets a forest on fire from a small spark, can both bless God and curse men. The wisdom is to recognize the weight of speech and steward it accordingly.
📖 Key Scripture
Proverbs 18:21 — "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."
Proverbs 12:18 — "There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health."
James 3:5-6 — "Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
"Words can't really hurt" minimization conflicts directly with this verse; speech-as-violence maximization sometimes also misses the verb (death AND life).
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Two opposite errors: (1) minimization — "sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me"; (2) maximization — treating any disagreeable speech as violence equal to physical harm. Proverbs 18:21 holds the precision: words really can give death or life. They are real; they do real work; they should be wielded with appropriate weight.
Recover the dual force: words give life. Words give death. Choose accordingly. The tongue you steward is sized like a small fire-starter.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Hebrew mavet ve-chayyim be-yad lashon.
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['Hebrew', 'H4194', 'mavet', 'death']
['Hebrew', 'H2416', 'chayyim', 'life']
['Hebrew', 'H3956', 'lashon', 'tongue']
Usage
"Death AND life in the tongue."
"Choose words with their weight."
"Tongue of the wise is health."