Proverbs 15:2

The tongue of the wise ¹  treats knowledge correctly, ²  but the mouth of the fool spouts out ³  folly.

biblegateway Pro 15:2

The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.

biblegateway Pro 15:2

The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, But the mouth of fools spouts folly.

biblegateway Pro 15:2

The wise person makes learning a joy; fools spout only foolishness.

biblegateway Pro 15:2

Knowledge flows like spring water from the wise; fools are leaky faucets, dripping nonsense.

SABDAweb Pro 15:2

Knowledge is dropping from the tongue of the wise; but from the mouth of the foolish comes a stream of foolish words.

bibleoremus Pro 15:2

The tongue of the wise dispenses knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.

biblegateway Pro 15:2

The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.

biblegateway Pro 15:2

The tongue of the wise ¹  treats knowledge correctly, ²  but the mouth of the fool spouts out ³  folly.

¹ sn The contrast is between the “tongue of the wise” and the “mouth of the fool.” Both expressions are metonymies of cause; the subject matter is what they say. How wise people are can be determined from what they say.

² tn Or “makes knowledge acceptable” (so NASB). The verb תֵּיטִיב (tetiv, Hiphil imperfect of יָטַב [yatav, “to be good”]) can be translated “to make good” or “to treat in a good [or, excellent] way” (C. H. Toy, Proverbs [ICC], 303). M. Dahood, however, suggests emending the text to תֵּיטִיף (tetif) which is a cognate of נָטַף (nataf, “drip”), and translates “tongues of the sages drip with knowledge” (Proverbs and Northwest Semitic Philology, 32-33). But this change is gratuitous and unnecessary.

³ sn The Hiphil verb יַבִּיעַ (yabia’) means “to pour out; to emit; to cause to bubble; to belch forth.” The fool bursts out with reckless utterances (cf. TEV “spout nonsense”).