15:4

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

4a
A soothing tongue is a tree of life,

4b but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.

As in 15:2, the “tongue” is a figure of speech (metonymy). It represents the words that a person speaks.

15:4a

A soothing tongue: There are different ways to interpret the Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as soothing :

(1) The Hebrew word means “healing” or “remedy.” This phrase refers to words that have a healing/soothing effect. For example:

A soothing word is a tree of life (Revised English Bible)

(2) The Hebrew word means “calm/gentle.” This phrase refers to gentle, calm words. For example:

A gentle tongue is a tree of life (Revised Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) or a combination of both interpretations. The Hebrew word most frequently means “healing.” That is clearly the meaning in the similar statement in 12:18b as well as in 4:22b.

However, it is also clear that the type of words that soothe another person are gentle or kind words. These two meanings do not conflict with one another. So you may be able to include both interpretations in your translation. For example:

Kind words that restore a person’s mind are a tree that gives life

In some languages, it may be necessary to make explicit what is healed by A soothing tongue, that is, by words that soothe another person. It may also be necessary to express the idea of emotional healing in different terms. For example:

Words that comfort/restore a person
-or-
Speech that encourages/strengthens a person’s thoughts/heart

is a tree of life: A “soothing tongue” is similar to a tree of life in that both give renewed vigor and health. Soothing words give renewed vigor and health to a person’s mind/heart. Similarly, a tree whose fruit gives life gives renewed vigor and health to a person’s body.

If a literal translation of this metaphor is not clear in your language, some other ways to translate it are:

• Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:

Speech that heals is like a life-giving tree (NET Bible)

• Change the metaphor to a simile and make explicit some of the implied information. For example:

Gentle words heal/soothe ⌊a person’s painful thoughts⌋ just as a tree that gives life ⌊strengthens a person’s body⌋

• Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:

Healing words bring life

A tree of life is a metaphor that occurs several times in Proverbs. It also occurs elsewhere in Scripture. So you are encouraged to keep the figure of speech if possible. Other verses where this metaphor occurs are 3:18, 11:30, and 13:12. In each of these verses, the topic of the metaphor is different.

15:4b

but a perverse tongue: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a perverse tongue comes from a word that means “twisted” or “crooked.” In 11:3b, the Berean Standard Bible translates it as “perversity.” It refers to saying things that are untrue or that deceive others.

crushes the spirit: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as crushes is literally “fractures” or “breaks” (like a bone or a jar). To break a person’s spirit means to destroy someone’s morale. This causes them severe inner pain or causes them to be discouraged and in despair.

General Comment on 15:4a–b

This proverb implies that soothing words can heal the pain caused by a person who tells lies. Pain logically precedes healing. So in some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of 15:4a and 15:4b. For example:

4b If someone tells a lie and deceives his fellow man, he will cause him extreme ⌊mental/emotional⌋ pain,

4a but if you speak to him gently, your words will heal his pain. It will be ⌊as if you have given him fruit from⌋ the tree that gives life.

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