Pro 12:17 | KingComments | STEP | When someone “speaks truth” ( ), words come out of his mouth that belong to the Divine nature he possesses. He cannot but make known what is “right”. Truth leads to the making known what is right. Right can only be called right if it comes from truth. Given the contrast with the second line of verse, which speaks of “a false witness”, we can think of a trial. But it can also be applied more broadly. The true or truthful witness is trustworthy because he tells the truth. He gives the right view. He who brings forth the truth will not bend right, but will make it known. A false witness violates the truth. He commits “deceit” regarding the facts. He lies about it. We can all err at times in representing certain facts. But deceit is deliberately giving a different representation, and that as a witness, than corresponds to reality. The Lord Jesus always spoke truth and thereby made known what is right. He also had to deal with false witnesses. The one evokes the other. Those who will not bow to the truth are going to lie to and about the truth. In it is about a person’s character, what animates him and what he produces as a result. What we say makes it clear who we are. To speak truth means that it comes from within. John the baptist spoke the truth of God about marriage by making known to Herod God’s right about his illicit relationship with the wife of his brother ( ). Words can act “like the thrusts of a sword” ( ). Words spoken hastily and thoughtlessly ( ; ) can damage the soul of a person. They are words that wound and hurt (cf. ). The enemies of Jeremiah say they want to “strike at him with” their “tongue” ( ). The friends of Job spoke many true words to Job, but these were words like the thrusts of a sword. And what of the terrible insinuation, uttered by the Jews against the Lord Jesus, that He would have been born of fornication ( ). What a thrust of a sword! And what a calm, quiet and thoughtful response from the Lord. Their thrusts of the sword made it clear that they had the devil as their father, and the Lord tells them so ( ). A person can be so damaged by words that it makes it impossible for him to live. Many people know the stinging pain of false, unkind, thoughtless remarks about his person or about a loved one. We must also consider that we ourselves, possibly unconsciously, have done it at times. Conversely, what the wise say brings healing. Of ourselves, we do not have a “tongue of the wise”. We can get one by learning from the Lord Jesus, because He had that tongue. He learned to speak as a wise man and is an example to us in this. From Him we can learn how to speak ( ). Then our words will be healing, for then they will be trustworthy and true. We speak gently and kindly, uplifting and encouraging to those who are the targets of slander. Barnabas had a tongue of the wise. He spoke reassuring words to the church at Jerusalem about Paul ( ). The tongue should be a healing instrument both for damaged hearts of individuals and for critical situations in churches. That happens if a good word is spoken, a word that edifies and gives grace to those who hear it ( ). Even an admonishing word can have that effect if it is said at the right time, to the right person and in the right mind. “Truthful lips” truthfulness, outlasts all lies, always, and never dies ( ). Truth is from God. God is the God of truth. Therefore, truth is connected to eternity. What is said in truth will never be undone. All attacks on truth, all opposition to truth, cannot undo truth in any way, ever. It is different with “the lying tongue”, the lie. That one can be as old as the devil, he is and remains a temporary intruder. Lies can only exercise and maintain a certain power for a limited time. It is “only for a moment”. This expression indicates that it is for no longer than the duration of a blink of an eye. It is so short that the length of time cannot be calculated (cf. ). The life of those who speak with a false tongue is of short duration compared to the eternity that awaits. All false teachers will experience this. Their lies disappear, while the truth remains. Every believer must have a truthful lip. Then he speaks the truth and that will last forever. Lip here stands for the person who uses the lip. The contrast in is between “devise evil” and “counselors peace” and in both cases with a view to the consequences. Because there is deceit “in the heart”, the heart is the forge of evil. Evil results from deceit. The consequence of devising evil is only sorrow and trouble. “Evil” here implies the idea of pain. Opposite this are “counselors of peace”. Peace, shalom, does not cause pain, but works wholeness and well-being, both for an individual and for a community ( ). Those who counsel peace will reap the inner satisfaction of doing what is right, as well as the pleasure of seeing positive results. The difference between truth and lie is the difference between peace and war. All wars are born of a lie, except the wars of God. The lie was born when satan declared war on God.

‏ Proverbs 12:17

Speaking Happens From the Heart

When someone “speaks truth” (Pro 12:17), words come out of his mouth that belong to the Divine nature he possesses. He cannot but make known what is “right”. Truth leads to the making known what is right. Right can only be called right if it comes from truth. Given the contrast with the second line of verse, which speaks of “a false witness”, we can think of a trial. But it can also be applied more broadly.

The true or truthful witness is trustworthy because he tells the truth. He gives the right view. He who brings forth the truth will not bend right, but will make it known.

A false witness violates the truth. He commits “deceit” regarding the facts. He lies about it. We can all err at times in representing certain facts. But deceit is deliberately giving a different representation, and that as a witness, than corresponds to reality.

The Lord Jesus always spoke truth and thereby made known what is right. He also had to deal with false witnesses. The one evokes the other. Those who will not bow to the truth are going to lie to and about the truth.

In Pro 12:17 it is about a person’s character, what animates him and what he produces as a result. What we say makes it clear who we are. To speak truth means that it comes from within. John the baptist spoke the truth of God about marriage by making known to Herod God’s right about his illicit relationship with the wife of his brother (Mk 6:18).

Words can act “like the thrusts of a sword” (Pro 12:18). Words spoken hastily and thoughtlessly (Lev 5:4; Num 30:6) can damage the soul of a person. They are words that wound and hurt (cf. Psa 57:4 ; Psa 59:7 ; Psa 64:3). The enemies of Jeremiah say they want to “strike at him with” their “tongue” (Jer 18:18). The friends of Job spoke many true words to Job, but these were words like the thrusts of a sword.

And what of the terrible insinuation, uttered by the Jews against the Lord Jesus, that He would have been born of fornication (Jn 8:41). What a thrust of a sword! And what a calm, quiet and thoughtful response from the Lord. Their thrusts of the sword made it clear that they had the devil as their father, and the Lord tells them so (Jn 8:44).

A person can be so damaged by words that it makes it impossible for him to live. Many people know the stinging pain of false, unkind, thoughtless remarks about his person or about a loved one. We must also consider that we ourselves, possibly unconsciously, have done it at times.

Conversely, what the wise say brings healing. Of ourselves, we do not have a “tongue of the wise”. We can get one by learning from the Lord Jesus, because He had that tongue. He learned to speak as a wise man and is an example to us in this. From Him we can learn how to speak (Isa 50:4). Then our words will be healing, for then they will be trustworthy and true. We speak gently and kindly, uplifting and encouraging to those who are the targets of slander.

Barnabas had a tongue of the wise. He spoke reassuring words to the church at Jerusalem about Paul (Acts 9:27). The tongue should be a healing instrument both for damaged hearts of individuals and for critical situations in churches. That happens if a good word is spoken, a word that edifies and gives grace to those who hear it (Eph 4:29). Even an admonishing word can have that effect if it is said at the right time, to the right person and in the right mind.

“Truthful lips” truthfulness, outlasts all lies, always, and never dies (Pro 12:19). Truth is from God. God is the God of truth. Therefore, truth is connected to eternity. What is said in truth will never be undone. All attacks on truth, all opposition to truth, cannot undo truth in any way, ever.

It is different with “the lying tongue”, the lie. That one can be as old as the devil, he is and remains a temporary intruder. Lies can only exercise and maintain a certain power for a limited time. It is “only for a moment”. This expression indicates that it is for no longer than the duration of a blink of an eye. It is so short that the length of time cannot be calculated (cf. Job 20:5). The life of those who speak with a false tongue is of short duration compared to the eternity that awaits. All false teachers will experience this. Their lies disappear, while the truth remains.

Every believer must have a truthful lip. Then he speaks the truth and that will last forever. Lip here stands for the person who uses the lip.

The contrast in Pro 12:20 is between “devise evil” and “counselors peace” and in both cases with a view to the consequences. Because there is deceit “in the heart”, the heart is the forge of evil. Evil results from deceit. The consequence of devising evil is only sorrow and trouble. “Evil” here implies the idea of pain.

Opposite this are “counselors of peace”. Peace, shalom, does not cause pain, but works wholeness and well-being, both for an individual and for a community (Psa 34:14 ; Psa 37:37). Those who counsel peace will reap the inner satisfaction of doing what is right, as well as the pleasure of seeing positive results.

The difference between truth and lie is the difference between peace and war. All wars are born of a lie, except the wars of God. The lie was born when satan declared war on God.