Proverbs 25:23 · Bible study
Proverbs 25:23 Commentary: The Slandering Tongue and the Angry Face
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the debated cause-effect imagery of the north wind and rain, and how a backbiting tongue relates to an angry countenance in Proverbs 25:23.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Secret slander stirs up anger, just as the north wind stirs up rain.
- Key words: צָפוֹן (north), תְּחוֹלֵל (brings forth), לְשׁוֹן סָתֶר (tongue of secrecy), נִזְעָמִים (indignant/angry).
- Main debate: Does the backbiting tongue produce an angry face, or does an angry countenance drive away the backbiting tongue?
- Theological theme: The power of words to create harmony or conflict, and God’s concern for truthful speech.
- Best use: Teaching on gossip, slander, and the importance of using words to build up rather than tear down.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
As the north wind brings forth rain, so a backbiting tongue brings angry looks.
WEB World English Bible 2000
The north wind produces rain; so a backbiting tongue brings an angry face.
KJV King James Version 1769
The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
The north wind bringeth forth rain; So doth a backbiting tongue an angry countenance.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
A north wind bringeth forth rain, And a secret tongue--indignant faces.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
The north wind bringeth forth rain, and the angry countenance a backbiting tongue.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
The north wind driveth away rain, as doth a sad countenance a backbiting tongue.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
El viento del norte ahuyenta la lluvia, y el rostro airado la lengua detractora.
O vento norte traz a chuva; assim como a língua caluniadora traz a ira no rosto.
Le vent du nord enfante la pluie,
Der Nordwind bringt Ungewitter, und die heimliche Zunge macht saures Angesicht.
De noordenwind verdrijft den regen, en een vergramd aangezicht de verborgen tong.
Il vento del nord porta la pioggia, e la lingua che sparla di nascosto fa oscurare il viso.
Jako wiatr północny deszcz przynosi: tak przynosi twarz gniewliwą język uszczypliwy.
Северный ветер производит дождь, а тайный язык - недовольные лица.
北 風 生 雨，讒謗人 的舌頭 也生怒 容。
As the north wind gives birth to rain, so is an angry face caused by a tongue saying evil secretly.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Proverbs 25:23
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Proverbs 25:23 draws a comparison between a natural phenomenon and human behavior. The first line is clear: the north wind in Palestine commonly brings rain. Barnes and the Cambridge Bible note that the northwest wind often precedes rain in that region, and the Hebrew verb תְּחוֹלֵל (teḥolēl) means “brings forth” or “gives birth to,” supporting the reading that the wind produces rain rather than driving it away. The second line, however, is debated. In the Hebrew, the word order is “and faces indignant, a tongue of secrecy.” The subject of the verb is ambiguous. Some translations make the backbiting tongue the subject that brings an angry face (WEB, ASV, BSB, YLT); others make the angry countenance the subject that silences the backbiting tongue (KJV, Darby, Douay). Matthew Henry and Gill take the latter view, arguing that an angry look discourages slander. Clarke, Barnes, and the Cambridge Bible favor the former, noting that slander naturally provokes anger. Despite this disagreement, all commentators affirm that the verse warns against secret slander and highlights its powerful consequences.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Slander produces anger: The parallel with the north wind producing rain; the Hebrew verb supports “brings forth”; modern versions adopt this reading.
- Anger silences slander: The word order allows the angry face to be the subject; supported by KJV, Matthew Henry, Gill; fits the wisdom theme of rebuking evil.
- Intentionally ambiguous: The verse may be a deliberate riddle meant to spark reflection on both directions of influence.
What is clear: The verse links secret slander to anger and warns against the destructive power of hidden words.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Natural imagery | The verse compares a natural event (north wind bringing rain) to a human interaction. | Some argue the north wind produces rain (positive/neutral), others hold it drives rain away (negative); most modern scholars side with “brings forth” based on the Hebrew verb. |
| Direction of causation | The verse affirms a strong link between secret speech and visible anger. | Does the tongue cause the angry face (WEB, ASV, BSB) or does the angry face stop the tongue (KJV, Matthew Henry, Gill)? Both readings have historical support. |
| Nature of the angry face | The face reflects indignation or displeasure. | Some see it as the righteous response of a wise person who discourages slander; others see it as the reaction of a victim harmed by gossip. |
| “Backbiting tongue” | The phrase denotes slander spoken in secret. | Whether the emphasis is on the secrecy (the danger of hidden talk) or on the malice (the content of the speech) is not agreed upon. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Proverbs 25:23 belongs to a collection of Solomonic proverbs “which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out” (25:1). This section, spanning chapters 25, 29, addresses kings, subjects, and everyday wisdom. The natural image of the north wind and rain would have been immediately recognizable to an ancient Israelite audience. Jerusalem lies about 30 miles inland from the Mediterranean; northwesterly winds blowing from the sea bring moisture, so the connection between the north wind and rain was a common observation. Adam Clarke explains that “the north wind brings forth rain at Jerusalem, because it brings with it the vapours arising from the sea that lies north of it.” The Hebrew word for “north,” צָפוֹן (tsaphon), is related to the root צָפַן (to conceal); Keil and Delitzsch suggest this reflects how the north wind darkens the sky with clouds. Rain (גֶּשֶׁם, geshem) in the arid climate was both life‑giving and potentially disruptive, a familiar part of the agricultural cycle.
The second half of the verse features the phrase “a tongue of secrecy” (לְשׁוֹן סָתֶר, leshon sater). This describes slander that is whispered in private, hidden from its target. In ancient court and community life, such secret talk destroyed trust and sparked conflict. The “indignant face” (פָּנִים נִזְעָמִים, panim nizʽamim) denotes a look of intense displeasure or anger. Whether the text means that slander creates angry faces in others, or that an angry face puts a stop to slander, the setting is one of human relationships strained by malicious speech. The verse appears alongside other sayings about words, false witness (v.18), gentle answers (v.15), and gossip (v.20, 26), forming a cluster of advice about the power of speech.
Textual Notes
The Hebrew text is stable; no significant variants appear in the manuscripts. The main textual issue is translation. The verb תְּחוֹלֵל (teḥolēl) is a Piel imperfect from חוּל, meaning “to bring forth” or “to writhe in birth.” This rules out the meaning “drives away” found in the KJV and Vulgate. The Septuagint, Syriac, and Targum support “brings forth.” The word order of the second clause allows either interpretation: the noun “faces” comes before the verb “brings,” but the verb is only implied. The reading of the KJV (angry countenance drives away backbiting tongue) is grammatically possible but less likely given the parallel structure: as the north wind produces rain, so a backbiting tongue produces an angry face (so most modern versions).
Reception History
Throughout church history, Proverbs 25:23 has been a key text on the sin of slander. Early Christian writers like John Chrysostom used it to exhort believers to guard their tongues. In the medieval period, it was cited in monastic rules forbidding secret speech. During the Reformation, Matthew Henry and John Gill emphasized the second interpretation, that an angry look can silence a slanderer, as a practical strategy for suppressing evil gossip. In the modern era, the verse is frequently used in Bible studies on communication and relationships. The two readings continue to coexist, with many pastors and teachers acknowledging the ambiguity and drawing lessons from both possibilities.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Certainty of Cause and Effect. Just as the north wind inevitably produces rain, secret slander produces angry reactions. The natural world models moral truth: actions have consequences.
- The Destructive Power of the Secret Tongue. Hidden words are not harmless. A “tongue of secrecy” poisons relations, stirs up resentment, and leads to open anger.
- The Wise Response to Slander. Whether by confronting evil or by refusing to encourage it, the wise person takes a stand. The angry face may represent righteous indignation that silences the slanderer, or the painful result that should move us to change our speech.
Five-point outline
- The north wind brings rain, natural law and predictability.
- Secret slander brings anger, the hidden tongue exposes itself eventually.
- The angry face as deterrent, if we frown on gossip, we discourage it.
- The angry face as consequence, slander destroys harmony and produces conflict.
- God’s word for our words, use speech to build up, not tear down.
Illustration hooks
- A church split that started with a whispered comment about a leader; eventually the whole congregation showed “angry faces.”
- Workplace gossip that got back to the person spoken about, straining relationships for months.
- A parent who stops a sibling fight by giving a stern look; the angry countenance quells the bickering.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “Is it ever okay to pass along negative information about someone else?”
- “What should I do when I hear someone gossiping, confront them or walk away?”
- “How can I repair a relationship damaged by something I said in secret?”
Leading a Discussion
This proverb uses a vivid weather image to confront us with the seriousness of secret slander. The north wind does not bring rain quietly; it signals a change. In the same way, the hidden tongue alters the atmosphere around us. As you discuss this verse, consider both major readings: slander provokes anger, and righteous anger can curb slander.
Discussion questions
- What do you think the writer assumes about the relationship between the north wind and rain? How does that observation shape the meaning of the proverb?
- The Hebrew phrase “tongue of secrecy” describes slander spoken in private. Why does secrecy make slander particularly harmful?
- Read Proverbs 25:23 alongside Proverbs 26:20. How do these two verses together describe the spread of conflict?
- Some understand the verse to say that an angry countenance silences a backbiting tongue. What situation in your experience matches that reading? What situation matches the opposite reading, where slander creates angry faces?
- Psalm 101:5 says God will “silence whoever secretly slanders his neighbor.” How does knowing God’s attitude toward slander change your view of your own speech?
- If you have been the victim of slander, what does this proverb suggest about how you should respond? Should you show an angry face or take another approach?
- In what small habits of communication (group chats, coffee conversations, prayer requests) might a “tongue of secrecy” be at work in your life? What step can you take this week to replace it with honest, loving 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)
| Job 37:22 | Out of the north comes golden splendor. With God is awesome majesty. |
| Psalms 15:3 | he who doesn’t slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his friend, nor casts slurs against his fellow man; |
| Psalms 101:5 | I will silence whoever secretly slanders his neighbor. I won’t tolerate one who is arrogant and conceited. |
| Proverbs 26:20 | For lack of wood a fire goes out. Without gossip, a quarrel dies down. |
| Romans 1:30 | backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, |
| II Corinthians 12:20 | For I am afraid that perhaps when I come, I might find you not the way I want to, and that I might be found by you as you don’t desire, that perhaps there would be strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, whisperings, proud thoughts, or riots, |
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
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes the north wind brings forth rain according to the true translation and ancient versions. He also says a backbiting tongue is a hidden tongue.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes insists the marginal reading is more accurate, because the northwest wind in Palestine actually brings rain, unlike the main text. This local weather observation is what the writer likely had in mind, making the alternative rendering both precise and natural.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
A backbiting tongue creates clouds on the face just as a north wind brings rain. Its hidden evil will surely be revealed causing anger on the victim’s face.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
An angry look can silence slander as effectively as a north wind clears rain from the sky. The Geneva note presents the harsh countenance not as a sin but as a practical deterrent against a malicious tongue.The simile draws a direct comparison: just as a strong north wind drives away rain, a stern, angry look drives away slander. The Geneva note presents this as a simple observation about how harshness can silence a malicious tongue.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill observes that the north wind drives away rain, and similarly an angry or stern countenance drives away slanderous speech. A frowning look discourages those who bring backbiting reports, while listening with pleasure encourages them.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
A concealed or slandering tongue causes anger just as the north wind brings rain. Christians who hold this view see the tongue as something that produces results like a weather force.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch acknowledge that rain in Palestine typically comes from the west or southwest, not the north. They argue the proverb uses "north wind" to emphasize raw, icy-cold stormy weather, comparing it to how a secret slanderer stirs up suspicion and displeasure between people, making them show troubled faces to one another.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry stresses that a disapproving countenance can drive away a backbiting tongue, just as the north wind drives away rain. He notes that slanderers are emboldened when listeners receive their tales favorably but become cowardly when met with visible displeasure. The simplest deterrent, he suggests, is to show dislike through one's looks.