Proverbs 10:32 (KJV)

What does Proverbs 10:32 mean?

Proverbs 10:32 contrasts two kinds of speech by connecting words with the character of the speaker. A righteous person, someone who lives rightly, recognizes speech that is fitting and pleasing. A wicked person speaks in a way that twists what is right.

The verse pictures speech through the “lips” and the “mouth.” After verse 31 describes what comes from the mouth, verse 32 turns to what the righteous person knows to say.

The Hebrew behind Proverbs 10:32

• “acceptable” — רָצוֹן (ratson): This word can mean favor, pleasure, or what is pleasing. Here it suggests speech that is fitting and welcome, rather than merely speech that meets a rule.
• “frowardness” — תַּהְפֻּכוֹת (tahpukhot): This word carries the sense of things turned or twisted. It helps explain the old English “frowardness” as speech that distorts what is right.

Why Proverbs 10:32 matters

• The verse gives attention to judgment about words, not just the ability to speak. The righteous person’s lips “know what is acceptable.”
• The contrast runs through both the speaker and the speech. “Righteous” and “wicked” describe the people, while “acceptable” and “frowardness” describe the words associated with them.