The power of the tongue cannot be underestimated.
We can uplift or tear down, speak life, or sow destruction with it.
The Bible repeatedly highlights the importance of using our words wisely.
Our words reflect the state of our hearts and have the potential to profoundly influence others.
These verses provide insights into the significance of guarding our speech and using our tongues to honor God and bless others.
Bible Verses About the Tongue
1. Proverbs 18:21 – Power of Life and Death
“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
2. James 3:5-6 – A Small but Mighty Spark
“Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”
3. Proverbs 12:18 – Reckless Words Pierce Like Swords
“The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
4. Matthew 12:36-37 – Account for Every Word
“But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
5. Ephesians 4:29 – Speak to Build Up
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
6. Colossians 4:6 – Graceful Speech
“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
7. Proverbs 15:1 – A Gentle Answer
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
8. Psalm 141:3 – Guard My Mouth
“Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.”
9. Proverbs 21:23 – Preserving Life
“Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.”
10. Luke 6:45 – Mouth Speaks What the Heart Is Full Of
“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
11. Proverbs 10:19 – Sin in Many Words
“Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.”
12. James 1:26 – Keeping a Tight Rein
“Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”
13. Proverbs 17:27 – Restrained Words
“The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.”
14. Psalm 34:13 – Turn from Evil Speech
“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies.”
15. Ecclesiastes 10:12 – Words of Wisdom
“Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips.”
16. Matthew 15:11 – Not What Goes In
“What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”
17. Proverbs 15:4 – Healing Tongue
“The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.”
18. Isaiah 50:4 – Sustaining the Weary
“The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary.”
19. Proverbs 31:26 – Instruction in Kindness
“She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.”
20. Titus 2:8 – Beyond Reproach
“And soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.”
21. Proverbs 13:3 – Guarding Your Mouth
“Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.”
22. Psalm 39:1 – Muzzle My Mouth
“I said, ‘I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.'”
23. Proverbs 16:24 – Gracious Words
“Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”
24. James 3:9-10 – Blessing and Cursing
“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.”
25. Proverbs 18:7 – The Fool’s Ruin
“The mouths of fools are their undoing, and their lips are a snare to their very lives.”
26. 1 Peter 3:10 – Love Life, Refrain from Evil
“Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.”
27. Proverbs 29:20 – Hasty Words
“Do you see someone who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for them.”
28. Matthew 12:34 – The Heart Speaks
“You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
29. Proverbs 22:11 – Pure Heart and Speech
“One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace will have the king for a friend.”
30. Ecclesiastes 5:2 – Few Words Before God
“Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.”
31. Proverbs 11:9 – The Righteous Escape
“With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape.”
32. Psalm 52:2 – Destructive Words
“You who practice deceit, your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor.”
33. Proverbs 26:20 – Quenching Strife
“Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.”
34. Isaiah 6:5-7 – Cleansed Lips
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.'”
Our Thoughts on What the Bible Says About the Tongue
The tongue is a powerful instrument, capable of building others up or tearing them down.
Scripture emphasizes the importance of guarding our speech, as it reflects the state of our hearts and has the potential to profoundly influence our lives.
Verses like Proverbs 18:21 reveal the immense power of words, while passages like James 3:9-10 remind believers of the responsibility to use the tongue consistently to glorify God.
The Bible also warns against reckless and harmful speech, urging believers to align their words with God’s truth and love.
Matthew 12:36-37 highlights the accountability we hold for every word spoken, calling us to practice mindfulness and self-control.
By seeking God’s guidance and allowing His Spirit to transform our hearts, we can use the tongue for encouragement, healing, and worship.
Ultimately, the Bible’s teachings about the tongue remind us to cultivate a heart centered on Christ, ensuring our words reflect His grace, truth, and love in every interaction.
Through His help, we can speak life and fulfill His purposes in our relationships and communities.