What does "deceit" mean in the context of Proverbs 12:20?

Setting the Verse in Context

Proverbs 12:20: “Deceit is in the hearts of those who devise evil, but counselors of peace have joy.”

• The proverb contrasts two kinds of people—plotters versus peace-makers.

• The first clause exposes the inner motive of the wicked; the second celebrates the fruit of righteous guidance.

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Key Word: “Deceit”—What the Hebrew Tells Us

• Hebrew term: mirmah—literally “fraud, treachery, guile.”

• Picture: bait on a hook, something crafted to look good while hiding harm.

• In Proverbs 12:20, deceit is not merely lying speech; it is a heart-level intent to mislead for personal advantage.

• The word often pairs with “planning” or “plotting” (cf. Psalm 38:12; Proverbs 14:8), stressing premeditation rather than a spur-of-the-moment fib.

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Practical Expressions of Deceit in the Verse

• Scheming to manipulate outcomes—business, family, or community.

• Twisting facts to justify harmful plans (Proverbs 6:16-19).

• Feigning goodwill while nurturing ill will, like Judas’s kiss (Luke 22:47-48).

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Contrasting Deceit with Peace

• Deceit springs from a heart bent on evil; peace flows from counselors who seek shalom—wholeness and reconciliation.

• Deceit yields turmoil (Proverbs 15:4); peace produces “joy.”

• Jesus embodies the counselor of peace (Isaiah 9:6; John 14:27), exposing deceit (John 8:44) and offering rest.

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New Testament Echoes

• Romans 3:13 identifies deceit as a mark of unregenerate humanity.

• 1 Peter 2:1 urges believers to “rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit.”

• Ephesians 4:25 prescribes truth-telling as the opposite of deceitful plotting.

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Taking It to Heart Today

• Examine motives: Am I shaping situations to bless others or to benefit myself at their expense?

• Replace guile with straightforward counsel that promotes peace.

• Seek the Spirit’s work, for “the fruit of the Spirit is… peace” (Galatians 5:22) and “no deceit was found in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:22).