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Proverbs 10:8,14
The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall…

Proverbs 12:13
The wicked is snared by the transgression ofhis lips: but the just shall come out of trouble.

Proverbs 13:3
He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life:but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.

his lips

Proverbs 6:2
Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

Judges 11:35
And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.

1 Samuel 14:24
And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursedbe the man that eatethany food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tastedany food.

and his lips are a snare to his soul
The imagery of a "snare" suggests a trap that captures and holds. In biblical times, snares were used to catch animals, symbolizing entrapment and danger. The lips, representing spoken words, can entrap the soul, indicating that what one says can have profound spiritual consequences. This is echoed inMatthew 12:36-37, where Jesus warns that people will give account for every careless word spoken. The soul, being the essence of a person, is endangered by foolish speech, highlighting the importance of guarding one's words. This concept is further supported byProverbs 21:23, which advises keeping one's mouth and tongue to avoid trouble.

“A fool’s mouth is his ruin” (Proverbs 18:7a).

• Solomon pictures the fool’s unchecked talk as a wrecking ball that collapses his own life. Like “the mouth of the foolish” that “invites ruin” (Proverbs 10:14), reckless words demolish reputation, relationships, and opportunity.

• Boasting, slander, and angry outbursts rebound on the speaker (Proverbs 12:13;Psalm 64:8). What seemed clever in the moment turns into self-inflicted damage, echoing Jesus’ warning that “by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37).

• James likens the tongue to a spark that incinerates a forest, setting “the course of life on fire” (James 3:6). The fool ignores this danger and keeps talking, piling debris on his own house until it caves in.

“…and his lips are a snare to his soul” (Proverbs 18:7b).

• The imagery shifts from ruin to entrapment. Just as a hunter’s trap is baited to capture an animal, the fool’s lips set the bait that ensnare his very soul.

• Rash vows or deceitful promises place the speaker in spiritual handcuffs (Proverbs 6:2;Ecclesiastes 5:4-6).

• Gossip and lies lure the heart into deeper bondage: “An evil man is trapped by his rebellious speech” (Proverbs 12:13).

• Ultimately, the trap is internal. The fool’s own words tangle his conscience, harden his heart, and invite divine discipline (Psalm 140:9;Proverbs 21:23).

Proverbs 18:7 paints a double caution: the fool’s careless words both destroy his outward life and imprison his inner life. Speech is never trivial; it carries the power to topple a future and to shackle a soul. Wise believers therefore guard their tongues, speak truth in love, and let every word be seasoned with grace, trusting the Lord to use wholesome speech for blessing rather than self-destruction.