Proverbs 10:32 · Bible study
Proverbs 10:32 Commentary: Knowing What is Acceptable
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What does it mean that the righteous 'know' what is acceptable? This study explores the Hebrew verb yada' and the contrast with wicked perversity.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The righteous habitually speak what pleases God; the wicked characteristically speak perversity.
- Key words: יָדַע (know, experiential discernment), רָצוֹן (acceptance, favour), תַּהְפֻּכָה (perversity, deceit; plural intensifies range).
- Main debate: Whether 'know' denotes cognitive awareness or practiced familiarity, most commentators see both.
- Theological theme: Speech reveals inner character and alignment with God; wisdom and folly are embodied in words.
- Best use: Teaching on Christian speech, discernment, integrity, and the connection between heart and tongue.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked is perverse.
WEB World English Bible 2000
The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked is perverse.
KJV King James Version 1769
The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable; But the mouth of the wickedspeaketh perverseness.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
The lips of the righteous know a pleasing thing, And the mouth of the wicked perverseness!
Darby Darby Bible 1890
The lips of a righteous [man] know what is acceptable; but the mouth of the wicked is frowardness.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
The lips of the just consider what is acceptable: and the mouth of the wicked uttereth perverse things.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Los labios del justo conocerán lo que agrada: mas la boca de los impíos habla perversidades.
Os lábios do justo sabem o que é agradável; mas a boca dos perversos é cheia de perversidades.
Les lèvres du juste connaissent la grâce,
Die Lippen der Gerechten lehren heilsame Dinge; aber der Gottlosen Mund ist verkehrt.
De lippen des rechtvaardigen weten wat welgevallig is; maar de mond der goddelozen enkel verkeerdheid.
Le labbra del giusto conoscono ciò che è grato, ma la bocca degli empi e piena di perversità.
Wargi sprawiedliwego znają, co się Bogu podoba; ale usta niepobożnych są przewrotne.
Уста праведного знают благоприятное, а уста нечестивых - развращенное.
義人 的嘴 能令人 喜悅；惡人 的口 說乖謬的話。
The lips of the upright man have knowledge of what is pleasing, but twisted are the mouths of evil-doers.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Proverbs 10:32
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Cognitive knowledge view: The righteous intellectually know what is acceptable and speak accordingly (Wesley, Barnes). Emphasis on yada' as knowledge.
- Habitual practice view: The righteous are accustomed to speaking what is acceptable through repeated practice (Gill, Keil & Delitzsch). Yada' includes experiential familiarity.
What is clear: The verse clearly contrasts righteous speech that pleases God with wicked speech that is perverse, and ties both to the speaker's underlying character.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'know' (יֵדְעוּ) | The righteous have more than intellectual knowledge; their 'knowing' shapes their speech. | Some traditions (e.g., Wesley) emphasise cognitive knowledge of what is acceptable; others (e.g., Gill, Keil) stress habitual practice and delight. The Hebrew verb yada' can include both aspects. |
| Nature of the contrast | The verse sets a clear moral contrast between righteous and wicked speech. | Whether the contrast is primarily between the content of speech (acceptable vs perverse) or between the source (inner orientation that produces speech). Most see both. |
| Referent of 'acceptable' (רָצוֹן) | The term involves what pleases God and is fitting in human relationships. | Matthew Henry and others stress that it is primarily what pleases God; Clarke and others include what is profitable and gracious to others. The word can carry both nuances. |
| Verb in the second clause | The Hebrew lacks an explicit verb in the second line; readers must supply one. | Some translations supply 'speaketh' (KJV, Geneva), while others read 'is perverse' (WEB, BSB). Commentators are divided on whether to import 'know' from the first clause or treat the clause as verbless. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Textual Notes
Reception History
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Righteous speech is grounded in knowledge. The righteous 'know' what is acceptable not as a theory but as an experienced reality. Their words flow from deep familiarity with God's character.
- The righteous speak what is acceptable. Their lips deliver not just any truth but what is fitting, timely, gracious, and pleasing to God and others.
- The wicked mouth is defined by perversity. In contrast, the speech of the wicked is marked by distortion, selfishness, and harm. Their words reveal a heart out of sync with God.
Five-point outline
- Speech reveals inner character. What comes out of the mouth exposes what is in the heart (Proverbs 15:28).
- Knowledge precedes wise speech. The righteous 'know' before they speak, their words are considered, not rash.
- 'Acceptable' is defined by God. The standard for good speech is not personal preference but what God declares pleasing.
- Perverse speech is destructive. Words of the wicked bring division, falsehood, and harm (Proverbs 11:11).
- The heart must be transformed. Only a heart made righteous through wisdom can consistently produce acceptable words.
Illustration hooks
- A doctor who knows the right medicine: Just as a skilled physician prescribes the exact treatment for a patient, the righteous know and speak what is appropriate for each situation.
- A gossip's wildfire: One false or unkind word can spread faster than a spark in dry grass, illustrating the 'perversities' that multiply through wicked speech.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can I tell if my speech is 'acceptable' to God or just socially polite?
- What do I do when I have a habit of complaining, gossiping, or harsh words?
- Does this verse mean only perfect people can speak well, or is there room for growth?
Leading a Discussion
This verse challenges us to connect our words with our inner life. In a culture where speech is often careless or harsh, Proverbs 10:32 calls us to cultivate a heart that 'knows' what pleases God and speaks accordingly. Use these questions to explore the text together.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What does this verse say about the righteous? What does it say about the wicked?
- Interpretation: The Hebrew verb 'know' (yada') is used for intimate knowledge, skill, and discernment. How does this shape your understanding of what the righteous 'know'?
- Interpretation: The word 'acceptable' (rason) appears in contexts of offerings and favour. What does this suggest about the goal of righteous speech?
- Application: Think of a recent conversation where you spoke well or poorly. What does this verse reveal about the heart behind your words?
- Application: How can you grow in 'knowing' what is acceptable before you speak? What practices help?
- Further reflection: Read Proverbs 15:28. How does this verse expand the picture of righteous speech given in 10:32?
- Prayer: Ask God to make your lips 'know' what is acceptable and to uproot any perversity from your speech.
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Proverbs 2:12 | to deliver you from the way of evil, from the men who speak perverse things, |
| Proverbs 11:11 | By the blessing of the upright, the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked. |
| Proverbs 12:6 | The words of the wicked are about lying in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them. |
| Proverbs 12:18 | There is one who speaks rashly like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise heals. |
| Proverbs 15:2 | The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools gush out folly. |
| Proverbs 15:28 | The heart of the righteous weighs answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes out evil. |
| Proverbs 18:6 | A fool’s lips come into strife, and his mouth invites beatings. |
| Proverbs 18:8 | The words of a gossip are like dainty morsels: they go down into a person’s innermost parts. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the righteous naturally speak words pleasing to God because they know what is acceptable. The wicked also speak what pleases them since they understand what is perverse.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes points out that for the wise, to "know" is immediately to speak: knowledge naturally produces utterance. In the same way, the wicked also "know" something, and what they know is only perversity, so their speech produces nothing but frowardness.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes that the word used here means is rather than knows. This distinction shows the truth of the statement is certain and unchanging.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights the contrast between deliberate wisdom and natural corruption: the righteous actually know what speech pleases God, while the wicked simply pour out perverse words. The point is not that the righteous never slip, but that they have learned what is fitting, unlike the wicked who speak only what is twisted.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill draws a sharp contrast between knowledge and habit: the righteous do not merely know what is acceptable in theory but train their lips to speak it regularly. The wicked, however, speak perverse things as a matter of course, and their mouths often contradict what their hearts know.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes that knowing means caring for someone as required by Scripture. Frowardness refers to many forms of deceit and bad character.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch stresses that the Hebrew verb for "know" here means more than intellectual awareness. It conveys a delighted, searching attention toward what is acceptable to God and others. The righteous actively dwell on such things, while the godless speak only falsehood.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry treats a person's words as both evidence and reward of their character: wise speech flows from righteousness and is itself a gift God gives to the righteous. By contrast, wicked speech invites its own destruction, as the froward tongue will be cut off.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that Scripture ascribes knowledge to the lips just as it does to the hands, because both speech and actions are guided by wisdom. He then defines "acceptable" as that which is genuinely worthy of being received, not merely pleasing in appearance.