Passage

A tongue like silver

Source and translation

World English Bible, Protestant Edition · Public domain · en

²⁰The tongue of the righteous is like choice silver. The heart of the wicked is of little worth.

Proverbs 10:20World English Bible, Protestant Edition

The scene

The proverb compares the righteous person’s tongue to choice silver and gives little worth to the wicked person’s heart.

The nearby sayings mention restraining the lips and lips that feed many. Speech is described by its value and by what it supplies to others.

How does the image of feeding many extend the comparison of speech with silver?