Pro 26:24 | KingComments | STEP | Someone can deliver a speech with “burning lips”, that is, a speech that burns with love, while his words camouflage the evil plans of his “wicked heart” ( ). In a burning speech, such a person says things that are pleasant, but they only cover his bad character and his evil motives of forging evil. The wise man compares such hypocritical speech to “an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross”. Overlaying an earthen vessel with what looks like silver makes the earthen vessel appear magnificent, completely different from the clay it actually is. Even the silver is fake, for it is dross, or silver waste (cf. ; ). says in different terms what has already been said in . This is done so that there can be no misunderstanding of how deceptive a beautiful appearance can be as a covering for a depraved inner being. In the evil heart of is “hatred”. “He who hates” may say beautiful and kind things, but he “disguises [it] with his lips”. To disguise is to be hypocritical, it is pretending to be someone else than one is. This deceit is laid up in the heart, indicating that it is taken everywhere. The way Joab approached and then killed Amasa illustrates this verse ( ). It is a warning not to be deceived by what we see or hear. In a God-hostile world, the Christian must not go his way in gullibility, but with prudence ( ). Nehemiah was not gullible when his enemies wanted to trap him ( ). connects directly to . Solomon warns his son not to believe a hypocrite even though “he speaks graciously”. For behind his kind voice and nice words is a heart in which are “seven abominations”. It will require great discernment and wisdom to discern whether a person can be believed or not. This verse may have in mind a person who has already proven to be untrustworthy, but who is now using words to hide his evil plans and to turn them into deeds. “Seven abominations” indicates that this person is completely, thoroughly, depraved. Every kind of destruction and violence is present in him. The hater conceives these abominations in his heart, he deliberates abominable and hideous deeds that are now plans and that are directed against him to whom he speaks in a friendly voice. His heart is a storehouse of abominations. Satan is the prototype of such a person, but there are also those who are much like him in this. To discover seven abominations behind a friendly voice requires dependence on the Lord. If we hear something from someone we do not know or from someone who is known to be untrustworthy, we must ask the Lord to make the true intentions clear. In any case, those become clear when that “friendly voice” says things contrary to the Word of God, as we see in the conversation between satan and Eve. Even though “hatred” goes unnoticed for a time because it “covers itself with guile”, there irrevocably comes a time when this evil is revealed ( ). The place where that happens is “the assembly”. “The assembly” is any gathering of people called together for a specific purpose. In this case, we might think of a trial. It can also be applied to the church of God, in which God makes known that evil is present. Ultimately, all evil will be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ ( ). For “there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known” ( ). Those who seek to plunge another into misfortune will often find that they themselves are plunged into the misfortune they had plotted for that other person ( ; ). Digging a pit and rolling a stone require effort. It is about someone who makes a great effort to plunge another into misfortune. But “whoever digs a pit may fall into it” ( ). And he who rolls a stone to bring it down on another will himself fall under it if the stone suddenly rolls back. It is the law of sowing and reaping, “for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” ( ). Abimelech, who killed seventy men on one stone, was himself killed by a piece of a millstone thrown on his head by a woman ( ). A person is measured by the measure of iniquity by which he himself has measured, so that God’s justice is executed upon him (cf. ). Other histories illustrating this verse are found in what happened to Haman who had a gallows erected for Mordecai and what happened to Daniel’s accusers who had him thrown into the lion’s den ( ; ). The reason a person hurts others with his “lying tongue”, that is, with his lies, is because he hates them ( ). He is driven by hatred. His lying tongue is in “a flattering mouth”, that is, he speaks flattering words. This is most evident in the way satan approaches Eve. This is how satan continues to work through his countless instruments, people who have him as their father. He is the father of lies that bring ruin. His nature is present in his followers and expressed in them. In politics we regularly see and hear samples of this. All these proverbs about hypocrisy powerfully teach how much the God of truth hates every attempt to deceive. They warn us against becoming accustomed to the slightest deviations from the truth and any lack of sincerity in our speech. Deviations from the truth and lack of sincerity are totally incompatible with the Christian confession.

‏ Proverbs 26:24

Hypocrisy

Someone can deliver a speech with “burning lips”, that is, a speech that burns with love, while his words camouflage the evil plans of his “wicked heart” (Pro 26:23). In a burning speech, such a person says things that are pleasant, but they only cover his bad character and his evil motives of forging evil.

The wise man compares such hypocritical speech to “an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross”. Overlaying an earthen vessel with what looks like silver makes the earthen vessel appear magnificent, completely different from the clay it actually is. Even the silver is fake, for it is dross, or silver waste (cf. Lk 11:39; Mt 23:27).

Pro 26:24 says in different terms what has already been said in Pro 26:23. This is done so that there can be no misunderstanding of how deceptive a beautiful appearance can be as a covering for a depraved inner being. In the evil heart of Pro 26:23 is “hatred”. “He who hates” may say beautiful and kind things, but he “disguises [it] with his lips”. To disguise is to be hypocritical, it is pretending to be someone else than one is. This deceit is laid up in the heart, indicating that it is taken everywhere.

The way Joab approached and then killed Amasa illustrates this verse (2Sam 20:9-10). It is a warning not to be deceived by what we see or hear. In a God-hostile world, the Christian must not go his way in gullibility, but with prudence (Mt 10:16). Nehemiah was not gullible when his enemies wanted to trap him (Neh 6:1-4).

Pro 26:25 connects directly to Pro 26:24. Solomon warns his son not to believe a hypocrite even though “he speaks graciously”. For behind his kind voice and nice words is a heart in which are “seven abominations”. It will require great discernment and wisdom to discern whether a person can be believed or not. This verse may have in mind a person who has already proven to be untrustworthy, but who is now using words to hide his evil plans and to turn them into deeds.

“Seven abominations” indicates that this person is completely, thoroughly, depraved. Every kind of destruction and violence is present in him. The hater conceives these abominations in his heart, he deliberates abominable and hideous deeds that are now plans and that are directed against him to whom he speaks in a friendly voice. His heart is a storehouse of abominations. Satan is the prototype of such a person, but there are also those who are much like him in this.

To discover seven abominations behind a friendly voice requires dependence on the Lord. If we hear something from someone we do not know or from someone who is known to be untrustworthy, we must ask the Lord to make the true intentions clear. In any case, those become clear when that “friendly voice” says things contrary to the Word of God, as we see in the conversation between satan and Eve.

Even though “hatred” goes unnoticed for a time because it “covers itself with guile”, there irrevocably comes a time when this evil is revealed (Pro 26:26). The place where that happens is “the assembly”. “The assembly” is any gathering of people called together for a specific purpose. In this case, we might think of a trial.

It can also be applied to the church of God, in which God makes known that evil is present. Ultimately, all evil will be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ (2Cor 5:10). For “there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known” (Lk 12:2).

Those who seek to plunge another into misfortune will often find that they themselves are plunged into the misfortune they had plotted for that other person (Pro 26:27; Psa 7:15-16 ; Psa 9:16 ; Psa 10:2). Digging a pit and rolling a stone require effort. It is about someone who makes a great effort to plunge another into misfortune. But “whoever digs a pit may fall into it” (Ecc 10:8). And he who rolls a stone to bring it down on another will himself fall under it if the stone suddenly rolls back. It is the law of sowing and reaping, “for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” (Gal 6:7b).

Abimelech, who killed seventy men on one stone, was himself killed by a piece of a millstone thrown on his head by a woman (Jdg 9:5 ; 18 ; 53). A person is measured by the measure of iniquity by which he himself has measured, so that God’s justice is executed upon him (cf. Jdg 1:6-7). Other histories illustrating this verse are found in what happened to Haman who had a gallows erected for Mordecai and what happened to Daniel’s accusers who had him thrown into the lion’s den (Est 7:10; Dan 6:24-28).

The reason a person hurts others with his “lying tongue”, that is, with his lies, is because he hates them (Pro 26:28). He is driven by hatred. His lying tongue is in “a flattering mouth”, that is, he speaks flattering words. This is most evident in the way satan approaches Eve. This is how satan continues to work through his countless instruments, people who have him as their father. He is the father of lies that bring ruin. His nature is present in his followers and expressed in them. In politics we regularly see and hear samples of this.

All these proverbs about hypocrisy powerfully teach how much the God of truth hates every attempt to deceive. They warn us against becoming accustomed to the slightest deviations from the truth and any lack of sincerity in our speech. Deviations from the truth and lack of sincerity are totally incompatible with the Christian confession.