In Matt. 5:2 we read that Jesus "opened his mouth" before giving the Sermon on the Mount. The Greek idiom implies that Jesus was about to say something profoundly important. (See Job 3:1 for a parallel.) Until then, he remained silent.
Prov. 17:28 says "Even fools are thought to be wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues" (NIV). In 1 Thess. 4:11 Paul writes, "Study to be quiet" (KJV). The wise person will not wear himself out answering every email he gets or in explaining himself to every curious inquirer. When he finally speaks, what he says will gain added importance from the long silence preceding it.
We will do ourselves a favor by indulging in only a few words "fitly spoken" (Prov. 25:11).
