Snare Speech

(Proverbs 29:8 KJV)  Scornful men bring a city into a snare: but wise men turn away wrath.

Bad attitudes are exhibited in destructive actions which “snare” (set aflame NASB) (6315) communities and families.  I am not sure where the KJV gets “snare.”  The root is “to breathe, to blow” and transforms into the idea of speaking.  It is used at least seven times in Proverbs and I could only find one place where it was used of constructive speech.  The rest of the time it was linked with lies. 

Again we see the demand for truth and honesty. 

So?  Do we speak the truth in love or do we twist and turn to make ourselves look good?  Often we are caught by surprise and distort truth.  That is a time for repentance and a time to ask forgiveness to try to put out the fires we might have lit.  Perhaps that is what the second half of the verse is about.