The Meaning of Proverbs 18:21 Explained

Proverbs 18:21

KJV: Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

YLT: Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those loving it eat its fruit.

Darby: Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

ASV: Death and life are in the power of the tongue; And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Death  and life  [are] in the power  of the tongue:  and they that love  it shall eat  the fruit  thereof. 

What does Proverbs 18:21 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The antecedent of "it" is "tongue," and "its fruit" refers to "death and life." This proverb is a warning to the talkative. Much talk will produce death and life, so be prepared for both if you talk a lot. Many words can produce much destruction as well as much blessing.

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 18

1  A fool delights not in understanding

What do the individual words in Proverbs 18:21 mean?

Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruit
מָ֣וֶת וְ֭חַיִּים בְּיַד־ לָשׁ֑וֹן וְ֝אֹהֲבֶ֗יהָ יֹאכַ֥ל פִּרְיָֽהּ

מָ֣וֶת  Death 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָוֶת  
Sense: death, dying, Death (personified), realm of the dead.
וְ֭חַיִּים  and  life  [are] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
בְּיַד־  in  the  power 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
לָשׁ֑וֹן  of  the  tongue 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: לָשֹׁון  
Sense: tongue.
וְ֝אֹהֲבֶ֗יהָ  and  those  who  love  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: אָהַב  
Sense: to love.
יֹאכַ֥ל  will  eat 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
פִּרְיָֽהּ  its  fruit 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: פְּרִי  
Sense: fruit.