An idle word is a word that is careless, empty, or spoken without purpose or truth behind it.
Jesus uses this phrase in Matthew 12:36:
“But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”
Simply put:
An idle word is a word that:
Has no good purpose Is spoken thoughtlessly Produces no life, truth, or love Can harm, mislead, or tear down
Biblical understanding (very simple):
Idle = inactive, useless, unfruitful So an idle word = a fruitless word
Examples of idle words:
Gossip Careless joking that hurts others Lies or exaggerations Complaints spoken without faith Empty religious talk with no heart behind it
Why it matters:
The Bible teaches that words carry power:
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21)
God is not saying we can never talk casually—but He does care about the heart behind our words and whether they bring life or harm.
What is Cursing? Cursing is the opposite of blessing
In the Bible:
Blessing = speaking life, favor, and God’s will. Cursing = speaking harm, judgment, or rejection
“I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing…”
— Deuteronomy 30:19
Cursing chooses death over life in words.
2. Cursing comes from the heart
Jesus said cursing is not just about language—it flows from the inside:
“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
— Matthew 12:34
When words are:
Angry Bitter Condemning Contempt-filled
They are considered cursing, even if they sound “clean.”
7 in all things presenting yourself as an example of good works: in doctrine showing integrity, gravity, incorruptibility, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that the one who opposes you may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. (Titus 2:7–8, MEV)
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