“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21).
The tongue has power. (1) It has power to harm and kill. Consider the following from the book of Proverbs – “There is one who speaks like the piercing of a sword” (Proverbs 12:18). “Perverseness in it breaks the spirit” (Proverbs 15:4). Someone has written, “A careless word may kindle strife. A cruel word may wreck a life. A bitter word may hate instill. A brutal word may smite and kill.” (2) It has power to heal and give life. Consider the following from the book of Proverbs – “The lips of the righteous feed many” (Proverbs 10:21). “The tongue of the wise promotes health” (Proverbs 12:18). “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life” (Proverbs 15:4). Someone has written, “A gracious word may smooth the way. A joyous word may lessen stress. A loving word may heal and bless.”
There are consequences to how one uses the tongue. (1) There are consequences in this life. An example of this can be found in these words: “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1). (2) There are also eternal consequences (e.g., Matthew 12:36-37; Revelation 21:8).
We will eat the fruit of our words. Biting into a good juicy fruit is pleasant. Think about a good watermelon on a hot summer day. Biting into a bad fruit is not pleasant. Have you ever bit into an unripe persimmon?
Those who love it (i.e., love the tongue, love to talk) should especially be mindful of the power and consequences of words. The tongue is a wonderful tool but needs to be wisely used. One writer expressed it this way, “Would that we all felt as keen a sense of responsibility for the use of our tongues as the policeman does for the use of his gun or the physician for the use of his powerful medicines!” [Rubel Shelly, What Christian Living is All About (Studies in James) p. 51].
Bonus
What is the difference between a vegetable, a fruit, and a berry? In modern botany the following distinctions are made. (1) A vegetable is any part of a plant that is grown primarily for food. This includes leaves, roots, tubers, flower, and stalk. Some include fruit. Others do not. (Fruit vs. Vegetable: What’s the Difference? dictionary.com; Classification of Fruits and Vegetables – Agricultural Notes, agriculture.institute). (2) A fruit is a mature, ripened ovary of a flowing plant. It is any edible plant structure that develops from a flower and contains seed or seeds (What’s the Difference Between a Fruit and a Vegetable? scienceinsights.org). (3) Berries have fleshy fruit walls that surround one or more seeds and are formed from a single ovary. Fruits can have a variety of structures and textures and can contain a single seed or multiple seeds (Berry v. Fruit – Are Berries Also a Fruit – Full Truth, getsetgardening.com). “A fruit qualifies as a botanical berry if it meets three criteria: it develops from a single ovary of one flower, it contains two or more seeds, and its entire fruit wall (called the pericarp) is fleshy. (What classifies a Fruit as a Berry in Botany? scienceinsights.org). In summary, one could say that all fruits are vegetables, but not all vegetables are fruits. One could also say that all berries are fruits, but not all fruits are berries.
It can be very confusing. Strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry are not technically berries, but fruits. In colloquial language many small, sweet fruits are often referred to as berries. A tomato is a fruit but has been classified legally as a vegetable for U.S. tariff purposes. A U.S. Supreme Court decision was made on this (Nix v. Hedden, 1893). Banana, all citrus fruit, grapes, cranberry, and cucumber are berries. An avocado is considered by some a berry, but most consider it a drupe or stone fruit. It usually has one seed.
Bryan Hodge 