The tongue, though small, wields great power. It can build up or tear down, heal or hurt, bless or curse. The Bible highlights the significance of our words and their impact on our lives and others. From Proverbs to the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, these 155 Bible verses about the tongue guide us on using our words wisely. Join us as we uncover biblical wisdom on the tongue and learn how our words can reflect God’s heart in our interactions.

The Power of the Tongue in Our Words

• Proverbs 18:21 – “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
• Proverbs 12:18 – “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
• Proverbs 15:4 – “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.”
• James 3:5 – “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.”
• Proverbs 16:24 – “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”
• Proverbs 25:15 – “Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.”
• James 3:6 – “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.”
• Matthew 12:36 – “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.”
• Proverbs 10:20 – “The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value.”
• Proverbs 21:23 – “Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.”

Guarding the Tongue

• Psalm 141:3 – “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.”
• James 1:26 – “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”
• Proverbs 17:27 – “The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.”
• Proverbs 29:20 – “Do you see someone who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for them.”
• Proverbs 10:19 – “Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.”
• Proverbs 15:28 – “The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.”
• Ecclesiastes 5:2 – “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.”
• Proverbs 18:13 – “To answer before listening—that is folly and shame.”
• James 3:2 – “We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.”

The Power of the Tongue in Encouragement

• 1 Thessalonians 5:11 – “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
• Ephesians 4:29 – “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.”
• Proverbs 12:25 – “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.”
• Colossians 4:6 – “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
• Isaiah 50:4 – “The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.”
• 1 Corinthians 14:3 – “But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.”
• Proverbs 15:23 – “A person finds joy in giving an apt reply—and how good is a timely word!”
• Hebrews 3:13 – “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”
• Proverbs 25:11 – “Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a ruling rightly given.”

The Power of the Tongue in Slander

• Leviticus 19:16 – “‘Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord.”
• Proverbs 10:18 – “Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool.”
• Psalm 15:3 – “The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others.”
• Proverbs 11:9 – “With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape.”
• Titus 3:2 – “To slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.”
• 1 Peter 2:1 – “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.”
• James 4:11 – “Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.”
• Ephesians 4:31 – “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”
• Colossians 3:8 – “But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.”
• Matthew 15:19 – “For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.”

The Power of the Tongue in Gossip

• Proverbs 20:19 – “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.”
• Proverbs 11:13 – “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.”
• Proverbs 16:28 – “A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.”
• Proverbs 18:8 – “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.”
• Proverbs 26:20 – “Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.”
• Romans 1:29 – “They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips.”
• 2 Corinthians 12:20 – “For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.”
• 1 Timothy 5:13 – “Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to.”
• Proverbs 25:9-10 – “If you take your neighbor to court, do not betray another’s confidence, or the one who hears it may shame you and the charge against you will stand.”

The Power of the Tongue in Speaking Truth

• Ephesians 4:15 – “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”
• Zechariah 8:16 – “These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts.”
• John 8:32 – “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
• Ephesians 4:25 – “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.”
• Colossians 3:9 – “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.”
• Proverbs 12:19 – “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.”
• John 17:17 – “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”
• Psalm 34:13 – “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies.”
• Proverbs 24:26 – “An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.”

The Power of the Tongue in Wisdom in Speech

• Proverbs 10:31 – “From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be silenced.”
• Proverbs 10:21 – “The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of sense.”
• Proverbs 15:7 – “The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but the hearts of fools are not upright.”
• Proverbs 18:4 – “The words of the mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.”
• Ecclesiastes 10:12 – “Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips.”
• Proverbs 13:14 – “The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.”
• Proverbs 15:14 – “The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.”
• Proverbs 14:3 – “A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride, but the lips of the wise protect them.”
• Proverbs 12:23 – “The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves, but a fool’s heart blurts out folly.”

The Power of the Tongue in Silence

• Proverbs 17:28 – “Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.”
• Proverbs 11:12 – “Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense, but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.”
• Ecclesiastes 3:7 – “A time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak.”
• James 1:19 – “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
• Psalm 39:1 – “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.'”
• Isaiah 53:7 – “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”
• Proverbs 18:2 – “Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.”
• Job 13:5 – “If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom.”
• Psalm 4:4 – “Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.”
• Micah 7:5 – “Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Even with the woman who lies in your embrace guard the words of your lips.”

The Power of the Tongue in Foolish Talk

• Proverbs 15:2 – “The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.”
• Proverbs 18:7 – “The mouths of fools are their undoing, and their lips are a snare to their very lives.”
• Proverbs 19:1 – “Better the poor whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse.”
• Proverbs 26:7 – “Like the useless legs of one who is lame is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.”
• Proverbs 26:9 – “Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.”
• Ecclesiastes 10:14 – “and fools multiply words. No one knows what is coming—who can tell someone else what will happen after them?”
• Proverbs 14:7 – “Stay away from a fool, for you will not find knowledge on their lips.”
• Proverbs 29:11 – “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.”
• Proverbs 13:3 – “Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.”
• Proverbs 17:7 – “Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool— how much worse lying lips to a ruler!”

The Power of the Tongue in Lies and Deceit

• Proverbs 6:16-17 – “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood.”
• Proverbs 12:22 – “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.”
• Proverbs 21:6 – “A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.”
• Psalm 109:2 – “for people who are wicked and deceitful have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues.”
• Psalm 52:2 – “You who practice deceit, your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor.”
• Proverbs 24:28 – “Do not testify against your neighbor without cause—would you use your lips to mislead?”
• Jeremiah 9:8 – “Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceitfully. With their mouths they all speak cordially to their neighbors, but in their hearts they set traps for them.”
• Psalm 5:9 – “Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with malice. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongues they tell lies.”

The Power of the Tongue in Complaining and Grumbling

• Philippians 2:14 – “Do everything without grumbling or arguing.”
• Numbers 11:1 – “Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.”
• James 5:9 – “Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!”
• 1 Peter 4:9 – “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
• Numbers 14:27 – “How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites.”
• Exodus 16:8 – “Moses also said, ‘You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.'”
• Jude 1:16 – “These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.”
• John 6:43 – “‘Stop grumbling among yourselves,’ Jesus answered.”

The Power of the Tongue in Praising God

• Psalm 34:1 – “I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.”
• Psalm 71:8 – “My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.”
• Hebrews 13:15 – “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.”
• Psalm 51:15 – “Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.”
• Psalm 145:21 – “My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.”
• Psalm 63:3 – “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.”
• Psalm 109:30 – “With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord; in the great throng of worshipers I will praise him.”
• Psalm 69:30 – “I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.”
• Psalm 103:1 – “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.”

The Power of the Tongue in Speaking in Anger

• Proverbs 15:1 – “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
• Ephesians 4:26 – “‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.”
• Proverbs 29:22 – “An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.”
• Proverbs 14:29 – “Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.”
• Ecclesiastes 7:9 – “Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.”
• Proverbs 15:18 – “A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.”
• Proverbs 19:11 – “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.”
• Psalm 37:8 – “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.”
• Proverbs 22:24-25 – “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared.

The Power of the Tongue in Thankfulness

• Colossians 3:15 – “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”
• 1 Thessalonians 5:18 – “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
• Ephesians 5:20 – “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
• Psalm 100:4 – “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”
• Psalm 107:1 – “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
• Philippians 4:6 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
• Colossians 4:2 – “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”
• Psalm 118:1 – “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
• 1 Chronicles 16:34 – “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
• Psalm 95:2 – “Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.”

The Power of the Tongue in Speaking Blessings

• Numbers 6:24-26 – “‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.’”
• 1 Peter 3:9 – “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
• James 3:9-10 – “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.”
• Proverbs 10:11 – “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.”
• Romans 12:14 – “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”
• Luke 6:28 – “bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
• Psalm 19:14 – “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
• Psalm 119:171 – “May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees.”

The Power of the Tongue in Integrity in Speech

• Proverbs 12:17 – “An honest witness tells the truth, but a false witness tells lies.”
• Proverbs 14:5 – “An honest witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies.”
• Psalm 15:2-3 – “The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others.”
• Proverbs 21:3 – “To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.”
• Psalm 37:30 – “The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak what is just.”
• Proverbs 16:13 – “Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value the one who speaks what is right.”
• Psalm 101:7 – “No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.”
• Proverbs 11:1 – “The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with him.”

Conclusion

The Bible offers profound insights into the power of the tongue. Our words hold the ability to uplift or harm, to bless or curse. By reflecting on these 155 Bible verses about the tongue, we can learn to speak with wisdom, truth, and love. Let us strive to use our tongues to honor God and positively impact those around us. May our words always reflect the heart of God, bringing grace and encouragement in every interaction.