What is the meaning of Proverbs 25:23? As the north wind brings forth rain • Solomon points to a predictable pattern everyone in Israel could see: when the cold, moisture-laden wind swept down from the north and the Mediterranean (Job 37:9; Luke 12:54), showers followed. • The image underscores certainty. Just as “If the clouds are full, they empty out rain upon the earth” (Ecclesiastes 11:3), the cause guarantees the effect. • By choosing such an everyday illustration, Proverbs grounds wisdom in observable reality; what God orders in nature teaches what He orders in relationships. So a backbiting tongue brings angry looks • Backbiting—speaking behind someone’s back with the intent to wound—sets off an equally certain chain reaction. – Proverbs 16:28 notes that “A perverse man spreads dissension, and a gossip divides close friends.” – Proverbs 26:20-22 explains that gossip fuels strife the way wood feeds fire; anger is the inevitable blaze. – James 3:5-6 reminds us the tongue is a spark that can ignite a forest. • Observable outcomes: – Trust evaporates; the wounded party feels betrayed and reacts with “angry looks.” – Communities fracture; families and churches experience cooling fellowship (Ephesians 4:31). • Wise alternatives: – Guard the lips: “Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up” (Ephesians 4:29). – Redirect conversation toward blessing (Proverbs 15:1; Psalm 34:13). – Seek reconciliation quickly, following the Lord’s counsel in Matthew 5:22-24. summary What falling rain is to the north wind, anger is to backbiting—automatic, unavoidable, and often drenching. The proverb calls us to treat slander as seriously as any storm warning: shut the windows of the heart, refuse to spread hidden criticism, and speak words that build up rather than break down. In so doing, we align our speech with the God who designed both the weather patterns above us and the relational patterns among us. |
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