These scriptures in Proverbs compare the words of the righteous with the words of the wicked. When I was young some of the children would call others names and make fun of them.
The children who were being harassed would reply with this old saying: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me." After studying the Bible, I realized this old adage is not true. Using unkind names or words against people is harmful. It is harmful to the one who uses them, as well as to the one it is being spoken against. Words are very powerful. Think about this. Lawyers use words to build their cases. Our nation's laws are made up made up of volumes of words. Our national treaties are words written on documents. Words announce the daily news. Words are tools that are used to communicate with one another. In the beginning God used words to create the earth by speaking everything into existence (Genesis 1). In the New Testament Jesus, Himself is referred to as the living Word. The Bible is also known as the Word of God. Words are powerful!
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."
The Bible has a lot to say about the way we should speak, and also warns us not to speak in certain ways. In the Bible when someone speaks words that are good and uplifting, they are referred to as speaking a "blessing." When one speaks evil words against someone it is referred to as speaking a "curse" against them. This is how "curse words" or "cussing" originated by speaking evil words. Since the devil is behind curse words, many curse words are direct expletives that come against God or Jesus.
Jesus taught in the Bible that when a man curses or uses profanity it is a sign of evil that is in that man's heart. It is popular today for both men and women to curse. They never think of it as an evil condition in their heart, but rather a small thing that everyone does. These small words of cursing the Bible says, will defile the whole man if they are not repented of and stopped. Cussing and using the name of the Lord in vain causes one to become defiled.
Popular movies and T.V. are responsible for causing society to accept foul language as the "norm." They portray cursing as a way to vent anger and tell people off. The very attitudes behind cursing show that it is not right, as cussing is used to demean and put down people. These words can be mild expletives to horrible blasphemies. Since the devil is the one who inspires these evil utterances he causes people to use our Lord's name in the most ungodly ways.
In the modern definition of cursing, usually people use the name of Jesus or God in vain and swear with curses such as "go to hell" or "damn you." These words clearly show it is an evil coming from the devil. Have you ever wondered why people do not not use the names of gods of other religions when they curse? The names that the devil hates and uses people to voice hateful curses are "God," "Christ," "Jesus Christ" and "Jesus." Terms about hell and heaven are also used in derogatory ways. The very misuse of these words should prove the existence of God and the reality of a heaven and hell. Neither adults nor children should use bad language if we are to be like our Lord. We do not have to use curse words to emphasize our intentions.
Colossians 3:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."
Matthew 5:37: "But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil."
Psalm 19:14: "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."
These verses in Proverbs say that God accepts the words of the righteous while the words of the wicked will one day be cut off, along with those who speak them.
