Life and Death are in the Power of the Tongue
Recently, there has been a debate about whether the concept of lashon hara is biblical. For those of you who are not familiar with the term, lashon hara is a Hebrew term that means "evil tongue" and refers to speech that is harmful or derogatory towards others. This form of gossip can be true or false information and is destructive. By sharing this type of information with others, damage can be done to the character or reputation of a person or group. Although this exact term is not in the bible, it is indeed a biblical principle. One that we should take seriously. It only takes a spark to set off a forest fire. A careless word is indeed a fire! (James 3)
Our words matter because they hold the power of life or death. The Bible says we will be judged by every word that proceeds from our mouth (Matt 12:36). As the body of Messiah, one fundamental component of our faith is to bring life to others (be a light); advancing the kingdom of YHVH. If we hear evil speech, slander or gossip, we should put a stop to it and not participate. If we embrace it, we are just as guilty as the one who speaks it. Do not get me wrong, I am not saying there is not a time to speak boldly, because there is. But most importantly it is the manner in which we do it that matters. The intention should never be to defame or destroy, but to bring about restoration. Yeshua was the perfect example of this. His intention was never to hurt someone or destroy their character, but to point them back to Torah.
The bible has so much to say on the topic of the tongue. We will barely scratch the surface… but let’s dive in.
First, let’s look at some examples of evil speech in the Bible:
Joseph's brothers' negative portrayal of him to their father, Jacob, led to their hatred of Joseph and ultimately his being sold into slavery. Joseph’s words about his dreams were strong (and certainly true), but the words spoken and reactions of the brothers led to damaging the family and brought incredible pain to the father. This is an example of how lashon hara can harm and create division among family (Gen. 37).
When Miriam spoke negatively about Moses, she was rebuked by YHVH and afflicted with the skin disease of tzaraat (leprosy) as a punishment. Due to Moses’ prayers, she was cured soon after but still needed to remain outside of the camp for seven days. Aaron, who had listened to her negative speech without opposing or stopping her, was also punished, but not as severely (Num. 12).
The spies who were soon afterward sent to Israel did not take a lesson from Miriam’s story, and they too spoke negatively about the land of Israel, disregarding what YHVH already said. The result was that the Israelites of that generation died in the desert. This is known as the “sin of the spies.”
In all of these stories, for the most part, the information was true… yet there was a consequence. In the case of Joseph, we see their evil speech caused division and hatred within the family. In the case of Miriam, she did not say anything untrue, yet she suffered the consequence and was placed outside the camp. Moses was not supposed to marry a Cushite woman, but it wasn’t Miriam’s place to slander his authority. Because of the spies’ evil report, they sparked fear into the people who then lost their trust in YHVH. All these situations are considered lashon hara, or evil speech. All true… but none of it fruitful.
Lashon hara expresses itself in many forms. Lashon hara can be factual, such as stating that someone violated a Torah instruction. Or it can be subjective, such as discussing whether someone is intelligent, attractive, or generous. All forms of lashon hara are damaging to the body of believers. I would highly encourage everyone to read the book “Taming the Tongue” by Mark Kinzer. It is an excellent bible study on the power of the tongue! Excellent read!
I believe that many of the verses in scripture that talk about evil speech, speak to lashon hara. Here are a few examples:
Proverbs 16:28 A deceitful person stirs up close strife; a slanderer separates even close friends.
Psalm 64:3 – Hide me from the plots of the wicked, who sharpen their tongue like a sword and who aim bitter words like arrows, shooting from ambush of the blameless.
Proverbs 10:20 From the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach is satisfied; he is satisfied by the yield of his lips
Proverbs 10:31 - The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.
Proverbs 15:2 - The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of fools pours out foolishness.
Proverbs 18:21 - Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Ephesians 4:29 - Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
James 1:26 - If anyone among you seems to be religious and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
James 3:5-6 - Even so, the tongue is a little part of the body and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles. The tongue is a fire, a world of evil. The tongue is among the parts of the body, defiling the whole body, and setting the course of nature on fire, and it is set on fire.
James 4:11-12 - Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaks evil of his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law, and judges the law: but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge.
I think the answer is humility and love. Let’s love each other well and not get caught in the trap of lashon hara, or any form of gossip or slander. Those who are without sin, let them cast the first stone (John 8:7).
How can we avoid being caught in this trap?
• Consider the impact of your words. There is no doubt we should uphold the truth, but the way we speak and share truth does matter. The bible has an outline for this to preserve the body when possible (See Matthew 18:15-19). There is a biblical way to handle conflict.
• Remain Silent. There is a time to be silent on a matter. Consider the Proverb: “The wise person restrains their words and is even-tempered. Even fools can be considered wise if they keep silent and discerning if they hold their tongues.” (Prov. 17:27-28) Experience has taught me it is good to be a watcher for a time. Evaluate and pray before you speak (or post) your opinions.
• Know your intentions. What is the intention of your words? The bible says our heart is continually evil. Therefore, we should consider why we want to say what we are about to say. And even more so, have we done our due diligence in understanding the situation? Or are we willing to hurt someone due to our own emotions or fears? As believers our words should bring LIFE.
• Cultivate a good eye. We can quickly form opinions on topics, people, or doctrine. Try to see the good in people and look at the situation from multiple perspectives. Do not be afraid to consider the opposite opinion, even for the sake of strengthening your own.
• Don’t Engage. Not everything is our business and that is okay. Sometimes what YHVH is asking is that we take a back seat in a situation and pray for the people who are involved. Most importantly, we need to keep our eyes fixed on the author of our faith, Yeshua. We need to be a light, love our enemies, and pray for each other- even those who persecute us.
In the midst of our rebellion, YHVH saw something special in us. He looked inside our hearts and knew we would say yes to the narrow path. It is a blessing to be part of His call to gather Israel from the four corners. My prayer for all of us is that we work hard every day to be a light to the nations. To love and respect one another in a way that draws people to Yeshua. If the Torah doesn’t look like love, we are doing something wrong. We ALL fall short… not one of us has arrived. The very breath of our Creator, His Words, spoke everything into existence. That is the power of our speech. Let’s make sure our words also bring life to those around us, as we strive to be an example of His perfect character.
