---

The marginal reading, which is, "The north wind bringeth forth rain: so doth a backbiting tongue an angry countenance," gives quite the opposite sense. In Arabia the north wind blew over a long tract of dry land, and therefore usually brought dry weather (Job 27:21); but in Judea the north wind, including all the winds between the north and north-west, blew from the Mediterranean Sea, and therefore commonly brought rain. Accepting the marginal version, the idea is, that as the north wind brings forth rain, a backbiting tongue brings forth an angry countenance. But our version, which we think equally faithful to the original, gives an idea equally good and important; it is, that an expression of displeasure in the listener will silence the tongue of the backbiter. The anger referred to here is a righteous anger; its object is legitimate, its expression is natural, its influence is useful.

I. ITS OBJECT IS LEGITIMATE. It is directed against "a backbiting tongue." A backbiter is a clandestine traducer of character. His speech goes to damage another's reputation behind his back. He does it sometimes by telling truth as well as falsehood. A man need not tell lies to be a backbiter; he can do it by parading damaging facts, and such damaging facts may be found in the chapters of every man's life. He does it sometimes un-maliciously. He may be prompted by vanity; he may disparage another in order to set himself off to better advantage. He may do it from greed: his object may be to rob the subject of his talk of some share of his patronage and support.

II. ITS EXPRESSION IS NATURAL. "An angry countenance." The countenance is a fuller, more faithful, and forceful revealer of the soul than the tongue. An admiring look has often won hearts which no words could enlist. A courageous look in the leaders of campaigns wakes the invincible in battalions. A reproving look has broken hearts, as Christ's broke the heart of Peter. An angry look, not a mere peevish, petulant look, but a look of right down honest anger, directed to a backbiter, would send him in mute confusion from your presence.

III. ITS INFLUENCE IS USEFUL. "The north wind driveth away rain, so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue."

(Homilist.)

---

---

KJV: The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.

WEB: The north wind brings forth rain: so a backbiting tongue brings an angry face.