My Mind

Prov 29:11 "A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back" (ESV). 

"A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control" (NIV).

This is always a good reminder. While the NIV, NAS, and NLT talk about anger. The NAS footnote says, “literally, ‘sends forth all his spirit’”. The NKJV says feelings, the KJV says the fool utters all his mind. The Message says the fool lets it all hang out.

I learned the NIV and it has served me well in regard to anger. But these other versions opens up more than just anger. I looked up the word for anger and it is ruwach. Literally – wind. The pronunciation even sounds like wind. Gen 1:2 uses it for the Spirit. All of these variations are listed in the concordances.

With all this, I can see how all these versions are attempting to get at the idea that when I don’t control my emotional outbursts, I’m a fool. Those outbursts could also be something other than anger. That might be what the Message is hinting at or the KJV when it says he utters all his mind. I don’t want everyone know everything that is in my mind. It will only prove me a fool.

Lord, give me self-control because my mind is still subject to depravity.