Proverbs 15:1-33·~1 min

A Gentle Answer Turns Away Wrath

The chapter opens by contrasting gentle, knowledgeable, and healing speech with harsh, foolish, and corrupting talk, all under the LORD's all-seeing gaze. It also ties wisdom to receiving parental discipline, to the stable treasure of the righteous, and to worship and prayer that please God rather than disgust him.

A¹ gentle answer turns away wrath, ²The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, ³The eyes of the LORD are in every place, ⁴A soothing tongue is a tree of life, ⁵A fool rejects his father’s discipline, ⁶The house of the righteous has great treasure, ⁷The lips of the wise spread knowledge, ⁸The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD,

These sayings show that the LORD loves those who pursue righteousness and sees even the deepest hidden places, so refusal of correction becomes self-destructive. In contrast, joyful hearts, discerning minds, and homes marked by fear of the LORD and love prove better than abundance mixed with anxiety or hatred.

⁹The LORD detests the way of the wicked, ¹⁰Discipline is harsh for him who leaves the path; ¹¹Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD— ¹²A mocker does not love to be reproved, ¹³A joyful heart makes a cheerful countenance, ¹⁴A discerning heart seeks knowledge, ¹⁵All the days of the oppressed are bad, ¹⁶Better a little with the fear of the LORD ¹⁷Better a dish of vegetables where there is love

Hot anger, laziness, despising parents, and aimless foolishness are set against patience, upright walking, wise counsel, timely speech, and a path that rises upward toward life. The paragraph closes by showing the LORD actively opposing pride while securing the vulnerable and delighting in words that are pure and pleasing.

¹⁸A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, ¹⁹The way of the slacker is like a hedge of thorns, ²⁰A wise son brings joy to his father, ²¹Folly is joy to one who lacks judgment, ²²Plans fail for lack of counsel, ²³A man takes joy in a fitting reply — ²⁴The path of life leads upward for the wise, ²⁵The LORD tears down the house of the proud, ²⁶The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked,

The chapter ends by condemning greedy gain and impulsive speech while praising careful answers, answered prayer, glad news, life-giving reproof, and the humility taught by the fear of the LORD. Wisdom culminates here not in self-assertion but in receptive instruction that leads toward honor.

²⁷He who is greedy for unjust gain brings trouble on his household, ²⁸The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, ²⁹The LORD is far from the wicked, ³⁰The light of the eyes cheers the heart, ³¹He who listens to life-giving reproof ³²He who ignores discipline despises himself, ³³The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom,

Section summaryThe chapter gathers sayings about gentle speech, divine omniscience, wholesome words, correction, acceptable worship, contentment, household peace, counsel, greed, prayer, and the fear of the LORD. Taken together, they show that wisdom creates a livable moral atmosphere: it quiets anger, welcomes reproof, seeks knowledge, prizes love over abundance, and lives openly before the God who sees hearts and judges ways.

Role in the chapterThis section functions as a sustained portrait of wisdom's temper and environment. Its work is to show that righteous life is shaped not only by right conclusions but by teachable hearts, measured words, well-ordered affections, and reverent awareness that the LORD weighs every path and hears every prayer.