23 A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!
23 A man H376 hath joy H8057 by the answer H4617 of his mouth: H6310 and a word H1697 spoken in due season, H6256 how good H2896 is it!
23 A man hath joy in the answer of his mouth; And a word in due season, how good is it!
23 Joy `is' to a man in the answer of his mouth, And a word in its season -- how good!
23 A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth; and a word in its season, how good is it!
23 Joy comes to a man with the reply of his mouth. How good is a word at the right time!
23 A man has joy in the answer of his mouth: and a word at the right time, how good it is!
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Proverbs 15
Commentary on Proverbs 15 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
We take these verses together as forming a group which begins with a proverb regarding the good and evil which flows from the tongue, and closes with a proverb regarding the treasure in which blessing is found, and that in which no blessing is found.
Proverbs 15:1
1 A soft answer turneth away wrath,
And a bitter word stirreth up anger.
In the second line, the common word for anger ( אף , from the breathing with the nostrils, Proverbs 14:17) is purposely placed, but in the first, that which denotes anger in the highest degree ( חמה from יחם , cogn. חמם , Arab. hamiya , to glow, like שׁנה from ישׁן ): a mild, gentle word turns away the heat of anger ( excandescentiam ), puts it back, cf. Proverbs 25:15. The Dagesh in רּך follows the rule of the דחיק , i.e. , of the close connection of a word terminating with the accented eh, aah, ah with the following word ( Michlol 63b). The same is the meaning of the Latin proverb:
Frangitur ira gravis
Quando est responsio suavis