Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.
Read Chapter 140
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
14. "A man full of words shall not be guided upon earth" (ver. 11). "A man full of words" loveth lies. For what pleasure hath he, save in speaking? He careth not what he speaketh, so long as he speaks. It cannot be that he will be guided. What then ought the servant of God to do, who is kindled with these "coals," and himself made a coal of salvation, what should he do? He should wish rather to hear than to speak; as it is written, "Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak." And if it may be so, let him desire this, not to be obliged to speak and talk and teach. ...I can quickly tell you wherein each one may prove himself, not by never speaking, but by requiring a case where it is his duty to speak; let him be glad to be silent, in will, let him speak to teach, when he must. For when must thou needs speak and teach? When thou meetest with one ignorant, when thou meetest with one unlearned. If it delight thee always to teach, thou wishest always to have some ignorant one to teach. ...
Tongue. This member is very dangerous. (Pet. Bless. cxix.) (James iii. 6.)
The just man is not styled "a man of tongue "but "of heart "for which reason Christ exhorted his disciples not to make long speeches in prayer, Matthew vi. 7. (Berthier)
Into. Literally, "in "though (Haydock) it should be into, conformably to the Septuagint. (Berthier) Raro antecedentem scelestum Deseruit pede poena claudo. (Horace, iii. Od. ii.)
