WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE A VIPERINE TONGUE? - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2024

Having a vicious tongue refers to those people who speak badly of others, seek to do harm with what they express, say hurtful, cruel and malicious things.

The term viperino means "similar to a viper, poisonous." Having a sharp tongue is directly related to vilification, deception, slander, and gossip.

We often face situations that test our patience, situations that can lead us to anger and irritability, causing us to speak harsh words or slander.

Sometimes even a pleasant situation with friends can open the door to gossip and eventually slander. Here are some tips on how we can control our vicious tongues and how to improve the way we communicate with others without falling into gossip, slander, or hurtful words:

1- Think what you are going to say

The phrases "think before you speak" and "if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything" seem cliché, but they carry a lot of weight in life.

It sounds simple, but we've gotten so used to speaking without thinking that the words only seem to come out of our mouths before we've actually thought about what we really want and should say. Take a few minutes before speaking to assess whether what you are about to say is beneficial or necessary.

2- Apologize

As harsh as it is, if we do say something that hurts someone, we should simply apologize. This can only have positive effects.

Many of us have trouble apologizing to people and accepting our mistakes, so we should try to make sure that we are careful, because it can be quite uncomfortable to accept our mistakes and verbalize it through an apology.

3- Take care of those around you

Try to surround yourself with good company. It takes two to gossip. Most people who engage in abuse and slander do not do it all the time and with all people. If you find that certain people make it easier for your vicious tongue to kick, stay away from those people.

4- Discretion

It is better to be silent and discreet than to fall into a web of gossip and hurtful words that only poison our environment and alter our peace.

It is important to raise awareness of the power of words and choose to be silent before uttering hurtful words. Replacing the viperine tongue with a sharp mind is the best solution we can take.

Viper tongue in the Bible

In the bible there are numerous examples of the damage that the viperine tongue does and how people with the viper tongue can be poisonous and harmful. The proverb 25:23 clearly expresses the consequences of having a vicious tongue:

“With the north wind come the rains; with the viperine tongue, the bad faces. " (Proverbs 25:23)

Likewise, Santiago expresses it: “And the language is a fire, a world of evil. The tongue is placed between our members, and it contaminates the whole body and inflames the wheel of creation, and it itself is inflamed by hell ”(James 3: 6).

Another clear example:

O LORD, deliver me from the wicked; protect me from the violent, of those who devise evil plans in their hearts and foment war every day.

They sharpen their tongue like a serpent's tongue; Viper venom is on their lips!

LORD, protect me from the power of the wicked; protect me from the violent ones, from those who think to make me fall.

Those conceited ones have set me up; they have laid the ties of their net, they have laid traps in my path.

I say to the LORD, “You are my God. Listen, LORD, to my pleading voice. "

Sovereign LORD, my mighty savior who protects me in the day of battle:

Do not satisfy, LORD, the whims of the wicked; do not allow their plans to prosper, lest they take pride. May the evil that their lips proclaim fall on the heads of my persecutors.

Let embers rain on them; Let them be thrown into the fire, in deep swamps, from where they never come out again, Let not people with a sharp tongue take root in the earth; may calamity pursue and destroy people who practice violence.

I know that the LORD does justice to the poor and upholds the rights of those in need. The righteous will certainly praise your name, and the upright will live in your presence. (Psalms 140).

In the bible there are several proverbs that guide us how to take care of having a viperine tongue:

-Por eso quiero hacer las cosas con Calma y poder terminar Los trabajos pendientes; keeping quiet in time is wise. Prov. 10:19 (VP).

-The reckless person speaks ill of his friend; the prudent is silent. Prov. 11:12 (VP).

-Each one gathers the fruit of what he says and receives payment for what he does. Prov. 12:14 (VP).

-There are those who hurt with their words, but the wise speak and give relief. Prov. 12:18 (VP).

-Caring for words is taking care of yourself; he who talks a lot is ruined by himself. Prov. 13: 3 (VP).

-Every effort is profitable; of much talk, only misery. Prov. 14:23 (VP).

-The kind answer calms the anger; the violent response excites him more. Prov. 15: 1 (VP).

-The kind tongue is a tree of life; the wicked tongue hurts the spirit. Prov. 15: 4 (VP).

- How pleasant it is to find the appropriate answer, and even more when it is opportune !. Prov. 15:23 (VP).

-The just man thinks what to answer, but the wicked spews evil out of his mouth. Prov. 15:28 (VP).

-He who thinks wisely is called intelligent; kind words convince better. Prov. 16:21 (VP).

-It is wise to speak few, and intelligent to remain calm. Prov. 17:27 (VP).

-Even the fool passes for wise and intelligent when he is silent and remains silent. Prov. 17:28 (VP).

-Each one will eat the fruit of their words until they are tired. Prov. 18:20 (VP).

-Life and death depend on the language; those who talk a lot will suffer the consequences. Prov. 18:21 (VP).

-He who is careful what he says never gets into trouble. Prov. 21:23 (VP).

-The north wind makes it rain, and evil tongues make people angry. Prov. 25:23

-As true as the north wind brings rain, the gossipy tongue causes anger! Prov. 25:23

-The wind that blows from the north brings the rain; gossip brings fury. Prov. 25:23

-Death and life are in the power of the language. Proverbs 18:21

-You have become entangled with the words of your mouth and have been caught in the words of your lips ”(Proverbs 6: 2).

-The tongue is powerful because your words can separate you from God.

- “But what comes out of the mouth, comes out of the heart; and this pollutes man, because evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies come from the heart. These things are what pollute man; but eating with unwashed hands does not pollute a man ”(Matthew 15: 18-20)

- The good man, from the good treasure of his heart, brings out the good; and the bad man, out of the bad treasure of his heart brings out the bad, because out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45).

- A mild tongue is a tree of life, but its perversity is a brokenness of spirit. (Proverbs 15: 4).

- The mouth of the fool brings hurt; his lips are traps for his own life. (Proverbs 18: 7)

In the bible, Job calls us to turn to God and says: Job 5:21: "He will protect you from the viperine tongue, and you will not fear impending disaster."

References

1. Faith Comes By Hearing. (2010). Job 5:21. 11-1-2017, from Bible.is.
2. Walk with Christ. (2007). Proverbs in the Bible about the tongue. 11-1-2017, from walking with Christ.wordPress.com.
3. David, P. (2012). Replace A Sharp Tongue With A Sharp Mind. 11-1-2017, from One-now.
4. Dictionary.com, LLC. (2017). Viperine definition. 11-1-2017, from Dictionary.com, LLC.