Proverbs 25:15 - Meaning and Application

Two things are recommended here for dealing with others if we want to win them over. The first is patience, so we can bear a present burst of anger without getting angry ourselves. It is wise to wait for the right time to give our reasons and let people think them over. Even a prince, a ruler, may be persuaded to do something he strongly resisted at first, and this is even more true with ordinary people.

What is just and reasonable now will still be just and reasonable later. So we do not need to press people with forceful words in the moment. It is often better to wait for a more fitting time.

The second is gentleness, speaking without anger or harshness. A soft tongue can break a bone. Gentle words can soften the hardest spirit and win over the most stubborn person. The saying is like lightning, which people say can break a bone without even piercing the flesh.

Gideon, an Israelite leader, used gentle words to calm the men of Ephraim. Abigail also turned David away from his anger. We often say that hard words break no bones, so we should endure them patiently. But this proverb teaches that soft words can do powerful work, so we should use them wisely whenever we can.