Mouth Control

(Proverbs 30:32 KJV)  If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.

I noticed that the NASB has “evil” in italics but the KJV does not.  Both reference the same Hebrew word (2161).  It is another case of a neutral word that depends on its context.  In the next chapter we see the contrast.

(Proverbs 31:16 KJV)  She considereth (2161) a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

That is why the NASB marks “evil” as assumed instead of literal.  The basic idea has to do with planning.  From the context it is clear that the motive has to do with applying conceit and selfishness to your daily life.

Two things strike me about this today.  One is that we can be aware of what we are doing.  The second is that we have the ability to do something about it.

So?  Don’t fool yourself.  Humility and love do not run a public relations campaign to make themselves look good.  It is obviously sinful and needs a strong dose of repentance.