Death and life are in the power of the tongue

Proverbs 18: 21

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Hebrew Meanings of Words

natural or violent, place or state, pestilence, ruin

NOUN

LIFE (chay - pronounced khah-ee)

alive, raw, fresh, strong, living thing, maintenance, running, springing

PLURAL NOUN

WAW CONJUNCTIVE - serves as a link between words, clauses, or sentences; and is affixed inseparably to the word that follows it

Since ARE is the word that follows it, in would be attached to either of the two words above that you choose for your life.

POWER (yad - pronounced yawd)

an open hand indicates means or direction

NOUN

PREFIXED PREPOSITION - "the" is the word that precedes it, and it is joined to it as a prefix that cannot be removed

CONSTRUCT STATE (WCJ) - The primary form of this state is to make one noun dependant on another noun - So this noun would be dependant on the previous ones in the verse.

TONGUE (lashown - pronounced law-shone)

used literally as an instrument for licking, eating or speech, babbler, language, talker, wedge, bay, evil speaker

NOUN

LOVE (ahab - pronounced aw-hab)

to have affection for, like, friend

PLURAL

CONSTRUCT STATE - as above, this makes this noun dependant on the other nouns before it

QAL PARTICIPLE ACTIVE - a verbal adjective in the active voice that indicates continued, simple action

PRONOMINAL SUFFIX - a pronoun (it) that is not free-standing, but is attached to the end of a word. It can only be used with the Construct State.

EAT (akal - pronounced aw-kal)

burn up, consume, devour, food

QAL IMPERFECT - indicates active voice, simple, imperfective action, and is viewed as part of a whole event or situation

FRUIT (periy - pronounced per-ee)

literal food, or reward

NOUN

PRONOMINAL SUFFIX - a pronoun that is not free-standing, but is attached to the end of a word



I know that it's easy to feel overwhelmed when you try to piece together all the meanings of these words. Each word seems to be connected to the other, though, especially the nouns.

Doing an in depth study of Bible verses is the only way that you can truly understand them. Print off this page and go over it slowly until you do understand it.

First, you are presented with a choice of if you desire spiritual death or life

Then, you are told what the consequences will be after you make the choice, because you will eat the fruit of what you choose

Every action you make brings forth with it an equal reaction. You just must decide if your consequences will be good or bad. Make sure that what you love is a thing that will bring forth good fruit.

The choice is completely yours, because you are the only one that can have control over your tongue.

Don't listen to the flesh and just do things according to your feelings. Stand on the truth of the Word of God and have the victorious life that God desires for you.

Return from Death and Life to the Laws of God