The Meaning of Proverbs 13:2 Explained

Proverbs 13:2

KJV: A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence.

YLT: From the fruit of the mouth a man eateth good, And the soul of the treacherous -- violence.

Darby: A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth; but the soul of the treacherous, violence.

ASV: A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth; But the soul of the treacherous'shall eat violence.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

A man  shall eat  good  by the fruit  of [his] mouth:  but the soul  of the transgressors  [shall eat] violence. 

What does Proverbs 13:2 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 13

1  a scoffer does not listen to rebuke

What do the individual words in Proverbs 13:2 mean?

By the fruit of [his] mouth a man shall eat well but the soul of the unfaithful [feeds] on violence
מִפְּרִ֣י פִי־ אִ֭ישׁ יֹ֣אכַל ט֑וֹב וְנֶ֖פֶשׁ בֹּגְדִ֣ים חָמָֽס

מִפְּרִ֣י  By  the  fruit 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פְּרִי  
Sense: fruit.
פִי־  of  [his]  mouth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
אִ֭ישׁ  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
יֹ֣אכַל  shall  eat 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
ט֑וֹב  well 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
וְנֶ֖פֶשׁ  but  the  soul 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
בֹּגְדִ֣ים  of  the  unfaithful 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: בָּגַד  
Sense: to act treacherously, deceitfully, deal treacherously.
חָמָֽס  [feeds]  on  violence 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חָמָס  
Sense: violence, wrong, cruelty, injustice.