What is the meaning of Proverbs 17:20? The one with a perverse heart finds no good “The one with a perverse heart finds no good”. • A “perverse heart” is a will that has twisted away from God’s plain path (Proverbs 11:20; Jeremiah 17:9). • Because the heart drives perceptions and choices (Luke 6:45), the person cannot recognize or enjoy what is genuinely good. Blessings are overlooked, relationships sour, opportunities slip by. • Scripture shows that choosing evil inevitably boomerangs on the doer: “Misfortune pursues the sinner” (Proverbs 13:21); “whoever sows injustice reaps calamity” (Proverbs 22:8). • By contrast, “He who earnestly seeks good finds favor” (Proverbs 11:27). The verse invites self-examination: if life seems barren, the issue may be the orientation of the heart, not the circumstances. He whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble “and he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble”. • Speech reveals the heart’s contents, and deceitful words set traps for their owner (Proverbs 12:13; 18:7). • Lies erode trust, provoke conflict, and invite divine judgment. God “detests… a lying tongue” (Proverbs 6:16-19), and He sees every word (Psalm 139:4). • Trouble can surface socially—broken relationships, damaged reputations—or spiritually, as God opposes the proud (James 4:6) and holds each person accountable (Matthew 12:36). • Positive alternative: “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceit” (Psalm 34:13). Truthful speech aligns us with Christ, “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), bringing freedom instead of bondage (John 8:32). summary Proverbs 17:20 bluntly links inner character and outward consequence. A warped heart blinds a person to genuine good, while a deceitful tongue actively ushers in trouble. God’s design is clear: guard the heart, speak truth, and enjoy the blessings that flow from integrity. |
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