10:19 When words abound, transgression is inevitable, 1
but the one who restrains 2 his words 3 is wise.
15:28 The heart of the righteous considers 4 how 5 to answer, 6
but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. 7
1:19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! 8 Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.
1 tn Heb “does not cease.” It is impossible to avoid sinning in an abundance of words – sooner or later one is bound to say something wrong.
2 tn Or “holds his lips under control.” The verb חָשַׂךְ (khasakh) means “to withhold; to restrain; to hold in check” (BDB 362 s.v.). The related Arabic term is used in reference to placing a piece of wood in the mouth of a goat to prevent it from sucking (HALOT 359 s.v. חשׂךְ).
3 tn Heb “his lips” (so KJV, NAB, NASB); NIV “his tongue.” The term “lips” is a metonymy of cause for speech.
4 tn The verb יֶהְגֶּה (yehgeh) means “to muse; to meditate; to consider; to study.” It also involves planning, such as with the wicked “planning” a vain thing (Ps 2:1, which is contrasted with the righteous who “meditate” in the law [1:2]).
5 tn The word “how” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
6 tc The LXX reads: “the hearts of the righteous meditate faithfulness.”
7 sn The form is plural. What they say (the “mouth” is a metonymy of cause) is any range of harmful things.
8 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.
9 tn Or “fail.”
10 tn Or “fail.”
11 tn Grk “in speech.”
12 tn The word for “man” or “individual” is ἀνήρ (anhr), which often means “male” or “man (as opposed to woman).” But it sometimes is used generically to mean “anyone,” “a person,” as here (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. 2).