The Meaning of Proverbs 18:7 Explained

Proverbs 18:7

KJV: A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.

YLT: The mouth of a fool is ruin to him, And his lips are the snare of his soul.

Darby: A fool's mouth is destruction to him, and his lips are a snare to his soul.

ASV: A fool's mouth is his destruction, And his lips are the snare of his soul.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

A fool's  mouth  [is] his destruction,  and his lips  [are] the snare  of his soul. 

What does Proverbs 18:7 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 18

1  A fool delights not in understanding

What do the individual words in Proverbs 18:7 mean?

Mouth [is] of a fool destruction his and his lips [are] the snare of his soul
פִּֽי־ כְ֭סִיל מְחִתָּה־ ל֑וֹ וּ֝שְׂפָתָ֗יו מוֹקֵ֥שׁ נַפְשֽׁוֹ

פִּֽי־  Mouth  [is] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
כְ֭סִיל  of  a  fool 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כְּסִיל  
Sense: fool, stupid fellow, dullard, simpleton, arrogant one.
מְחִתָּה־  destruction 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְחִתָּה  
Sense: destruction, ruin, terror, a breaking.
ל֑וֹ  his 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
וּ֝שְׂפָתָ֗יו  and  his  lips  [are] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, fdc, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׂפָה  
Sense: lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding.
מוֹקֵ֥שׁ  the  snare 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֹוקֵשׁ  
Sense: bait, lure, snare.
נַפְשֽׁוֹ  of  his  soul 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.