Proverbs 15:4 (BSB)

A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.

From Proverbs 15. Also in the ESV.

Commentary on Proverbs 15:4

• Matthew Henry (Presbyterian), Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on Proverbs 15:4: Note, 1. A good tongue is healing, healing to wounded consciences by comforting them, to sin-sick souls by convincing them, to peace and love when it is broken by accommodating differences, compromising matters in variance, and reconciling parties at variance; this is the healing of the tongue, which is a tree of life, the leaves of which have a sanative virtue, Rev 22:2.
• John Gill (Reformed Baptist), Exposition of the Old and New Testaments on Proverbs 15:4: A wholesome tongue is a tree of life,.... A tongue that delivers out salutary instructions, wholesome advice and counsel; a "healing tongue" (w), as it may be rendered, which pacifies contending parties, and heals the divisions between them; to have the benefit of such a man's company and conversation is like being in paradise.
• Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (Reformed), Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible on Proverbs 15:4: A wholesome tongue--(Compare Margin), pacifying and soothing language. tree of life-- (Pro 3:18; Pro 11:30). perverseness therein--cross, ill-natured language. breach . . . spirit--(compare Isa 65:14, Hebrew), grieves, instead of appeasing.
• Keil & Delitzsch (Lutheran), Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament on Proverbs 15:4: Pro 15:4 4 Gentleness of the tongue is a tree of life; But falseness in it is a wounding to the spirit. Regarding מרפּא, vid., at Pro 12:18, and regarding סלף, at Pro 11:3; this latter word we derive with Fleischer from סלף, to subvert, overthrow, but not in the sense of “violence, asperitas, in as far as violent speech is like a stormy sea,” but of perversity, perversitas (Venet.