31. Thus then what is
written, “The mouth that lieth, slayeth the soul;”2351
| 2351 Wisdom 1.11" id="v.v.xxxii-p2.1" parsed="|Wis|1|11|0|0" osisRef="Bible:Wis.1.11">Wisd. i. 11 |
of what
mouth it speaketh, is the
question. For in general when the
Scripture speaks of the mouth, it signifies the very seat of our
conception
2352
in the
heart, where is approved and
decreed whatever also by the voice,
when we speak the
truth, is uttered: so that he lieth with the
heart who approveth a
lie; yet that man may possibly not
lie with
the
heart, who uttereth other than is in his
mind, in such sort
that he knows it to be for the sake of avoiding a greater
evil that
he admitteth an
evil, disapproving withal both the one and the
other. And they who assert this, say that thus also is to be
understood that which is written, “He that speaketh the
truth in
his
heart:”
2353
because
always in the
heart truth must be spoken; but not always in the
mouth of the body, if any cause of avoiding a greater
evil require
that other than is in the
mind be uttered with the voice. And that
there is indeed a mouth of the
heart, may be understood even from
this, that where there is
speech, there a mouth is with no
absurdity understood: nor would it be right to say, “Who speaketh
in his
heart,” unless it were right to understand that there is
also a mouth in the
heart. Though in that very place where it is
written, “The mouth that lieth, slayeth the
soul,” if the
context of the lesson be considered, it may peradventure be taken
for no other than the mouth of the
heart. For there is an obscure
response there, where it is hidden from men, to whom the mouth of
the
heart, unless the mouth of the body sound therewith, is not
audible. But that mouth, the Scripture in that place saith, doth
reach to the hearing of the Spirit of the
Lord, Who hath filled the
whole
earth; at the same time mentioning
lips and voice and
tongue
in that place; yet all these the sense permitteth not to be taken,
but concerning the
heart, because it saith of the
Lord, that what
is spoken is not hidden from Him: now that which is spoken with
that sound which reacheth to our
ears, is not hidden from men
either. Thus, namely, is it written: “The Spirit of
wisdom is
loving, and will not acquit an
evil-speaker of his
lips: for of his
reins
God is witness, and of his
heart a true searcher, and of his
tongue a hearer. For the Spirit of the
Lord hath filled the whole
earth, and that which containeth all things hath
knowledge of the
voice. Therefore he that speaketh
unrighteous things cannot be hid:
but neither shall the
judgment when it punisheth pass by him. For
in the thoughts of the
ungodly shall there be
interrogation; and
the hearing of his words shall come from the
Lord, to the
punishment of his
iniquities.
2354
| 2354 A Domino, “unto the Lord.” E.V. |
For the
ear of
jealousy heareth
all things, and the tumult of murmurings will not be hid. Therefore
keep yourselves from murmuring, which profiteth nothing, and from
backbiting refrain your
tongue: because an obscure response will
not go into the
void.
2355
| 2355 Obscurum responsum in vacuum
non ibit, “There is no word so secret
that shall go for nought.” E.V. |
But the mouth that lieth, slayeth
the
soul.”
2356
| 2356 Wisdom 1.6-11" id="v.v.xxxii-p7.1" parsed="|Wis|1|6|1|11" osisRef="Bible:Wis.1.6-Wis.1.11">Wisd. i. 6–11 |
It seems
then to threaten them who think that to be obscure and secret,
which they agitate and turn over in their heart. And this, it would
show, is so clear to the ears of God, that it even calls it
“tumult.”
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