Proverbs 25:23 Meaning: What the Backbiting Tongue Brings
The north wind produces rain; so a backbiting tongue brings an angry face.
The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.
The north wind bringeth forth rain; So doth a backbiting tongue an angry countenance.
A north wind bringeth forth rain, And a secret tongue--indignant faces.
The north wind bringeth forth rain, and the angry countenance a backbiting tongue.
Meaning in one sentence
Does a backbiting tongue provoke anger or stop it? Proverbs 25:23 compares secret slander to the north wind that brings rain, it produces fury, not silence.
Context
This proverb sits in a collection of Solomon’s sayings that King Hezekiah’s men gathered centuries later (Proverbs 25:1). The verses around it deal with the harm words can do, a bad tooth, a lame foot, a song sung to a heavy heart (25:19, 20). Just before this, Solomon urges us to feed an enemy and give him water (25:21). Then comes the image of the north wind and rain. The verse is a short comparison, the kind of proverb meant to stick in your mind. It tells you something about how the world works and how people work, and it expects you to act on it.
Key Words
The Hebrew phrase translated “backbiting tongue” is literally a tongue of secrecy (lĕshon sāter). The word sāter means hidden, concealed. Not just any angry words, but words spoken when the person you are talking about cannot hear them. That is the kind of speech the proverb is after.
The verb behind “produces” or “brings forth” is tĕḥôlēl, from a root used for birthing or travailing. The tongue does not just cause anger; it gives birth to it. And the faces that come from such words are niz‘āmîm, indignant, angry, full of visible displeasure. The word zā‘am carries the force of someone who has been wronged and shows it. Secret slander does not stay secret. It comes out as fury on a real person’s face.
How Christians Read This Verse
Two ways of reading this proverb have shaped Christian tradition. One, found in the King James Version and in Matthew Henry’s commentary, takes the north wind as driving away the rain, so that an angry countenance silences a backbiting tongue. In this view, a stern look can put a slanderer to shame. The other reading, supported by the original Hebrew and most modern translations, sees the north wind producing the rain. In this view, secret slander produces angry looks, a warning about cause and effect.
Both readings have pastoral force. One encourages you to confront gossip; the other warns you that your secret words will surface as real anger. Most scholars today, from Keil and Delitzsch to the Cambridge Bible, favour the second reading. But Christians have used both to teach the seriousness of hidden speech.
A common misunderstanding
A common mistake is to read the proverb as a technique: if someone gossips, put on an angry face to stop them. But if the verse means the north wind brings rain, then the point is the opposite. The secret tongue produces the angry face, not the other way around. In fact, the proverb is a warning, not a strategy. It says that hidden slander will always produce visible damage, the anger that shows on a person’s face. You cannot keep it hidden.
Living This Out
You probably will not hear the words spoken about you today. That is the nature of secret slander. But the proverb says those words are not invisible; they land on a real person and stir up real anger. This week, before you repeat something unflattering about someone who is not in the room, stop. Ask yourself: if this person heard me, what would I see on their face? The proverb does not command you to do anything. It simply describes how life works, and lets you decide how to live.
Main takeaway: Secret slander always produces visible anger, just as surely as the north wind produces rain.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Saying something mean about someone when they cannot hear you still hurts them. It makes them angry, just like rain comes from a certain wind. Try to say only kind things, even when the person is not there.
For ages 9, 12
Gossip feels harmless because the person does not hear it. But this proverb says secret words cause real anger, as surely as a north wind brings rain. Even if no one else knows you said it, the damage happens. Before you share a story about someone who is not around, ask yourself: would I say this if they were standing here? If not, keep it quiet.
Questions People Ask
What does 'backbiting tongue' mean in Proverbs 25:23?
The Hebrew phrase is 'tongue of secrecy' (lĕshon sāter). It refers to speaking about someone in a harmful way when they are not present. It is not open criticism or a fair conversation; it is hidden slander, the kind that spreads behind a person's back.
Does Proverbs 25:23 teach that an angry face stops gossip?
Some older translations (like the KJV) read the verse that way: 'The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.' In that reading, a stern look silences the slanderer. But most Hebrew scholars today agree the verb means 'brings forth,' not 'drives away.' The verse is warning us that secret slander produces anger, not that we should use anger to stop it.
Why do the KJV and WEB translations disagree on this verse?
The Hebrew word tĕḥôlēl can mean either 'brings forth' (like giving birth) or 'drives away,' depending on the context. The KJV followed the Latin Vulgate, which translated it as 'drives away rain.' But the Hebrew verb normally means to writhe, bring forth, or produce. Modern translations like the WEB, NIV, and ESV almost all read it as 'brings forth rain,' which fits the geography of Israel (northwest winds bring rain) and the parallel with the tongue producing anger.
What is the main lesson of Proverbs 25:23 for everyday life?
The proverb teaches a straightforward cause and effect: hidden slander will inevitably surface as visible anger. You may think your secret words have no consequence, but they will land on a real person and show on their face. It is a warning to guard your tongue, not a justification for showing anger at those who gossip.
How can I apply Proverbs 25:23 in my relationships?
Start by noticing when you are tempted to share something negative about someone who is not there. Ask yourself: if this person overheard me, would I see sorrow or anger on their face? The proverb invites you to consider the real human cost of your hidden words. You can also gently steer conversations away from gossip when others begin it.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study