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20. Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him. {words: or, matters?}
We have just been warned against sullen silence. The next warning is directed against hasty words. When a man flows on in his words, evidently without time for consideration (Chapter 18:13); when he gives his opinion, as if it were a loss of time to take counsel, or regard the judgment of others; when you find him forward in pronouncing judgment before men of acknowledged wisdom and experience; this is the “fool uttering all his mind.” (Verse 11); the man lately marked out for our warning (Chapter 26:12), as an hopeless fool, “wise in his own conceit.”
It is very difficult to deal effectively with him. Until the stronghold of his own conceit be shaken, argument and instruction are lost upon him. The man who is conscious of his weakness, distrusts himself, and is ready to ask and receive counsel; is more likely to be led right, than he, who thinks himself to be right already.
It is a special mercy to be preserved from hasty judgments, or expression of judgments. The first stamp upon a perfect mind is infallibly correct. On an imperfect mind it must be subjected to a careful scrutiny. It is sound wisdom to admit, that our judgment may be mistaken. Self-control and self-diffidence give solid consistency. This character of mind is most important in religious disputations. Be careful to defend or contravene nothing, till you have tested it by the true standard. Moses deferred judgment on the sin before his eyes, till he had brought the matter to God. (Leviticus 24:12.) “Be swift to hear; slow to speak.” (James 1:19.)
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