What is the meaning of Proverbs 19:28? Setting within Proverbs Proverbs often contrasts righteousness and wickedness to reveal God’s heart for everyday life. Just a few verses earlier, we read, “Better the poor whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse” (19:1). Proverbs 19:28 continues that theme, spotlighting the destructive power of dishonest speech in court and in daily conversation. "A corrupt witness" • The phrase calls to mind the ninth commandment against bearing false testimony (Exodus 20:16). • God required two or three trustworthy witnesses before a verdict could stand (Deuteronomy 19:15), and severe penalties awaited anyone who lied on the stand (Deuteronomy 19:16-21). • False witnesses hounded Jesus at His trial (Matthew 26:59-60), proving how a “corrupt witness” can be weaponized against the innocent. • Proverbs repeatedly warns against this sin: “A false witness will not go unpunished” (19:5) and “A lying witness is an agent of deceit” (14:25). "Mocks justice" • To “mock” is to laugh at, scorn, or make light of something serious. When someone lies under oath, they treat God’s standard of justice with contempt. • Proverbs 28:5 notes, “Evil men do not understand justice.” The corrupt witness flaunts that ignorance publicly. • Isaiah 5:23 condemns judges “who acquit the guilty for a bribe.” Their mocking attitude devalues truth, harms the innocent, and erodes society’s foundations. "A wicked mouth" • Scripture often links the mouth to the heart: “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). • A “wicked mouth” is not limited to courtroom lies; it describes any speech soaked in evil—gossip, slander, deceit, or profanity (Proverbs 4:24; James 3:6-8). • Proverbs 10:31 reminds us, “The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out.” The contrast is stark: what flows from the lips reveals who truly rules the heart. "Swallows iniquity" • The image is graphic: the wicked mouth eagerly gulps down sin as though it were a tasty drink. Job 15:16 pictures the same appetite, describing the ungodly as those “who drink injustice like water.” • Instead of recoiling from evil, this person ingests it, nourishes themselves on it, and grows even more corrupt (Romans 1:32). • Psalm 14:4 laments, “Will the workers of iniquity never learn? They devour my people as they eat bread.” Evil speech is not a harmless habit; it consumes both speaker and hearer. Living out the proverb • Guard the witness stand of everyday life. Whether signing a document, posting online, or recounting an event, we are “witnesses” before God (Colossians 3:9-10). • Speak truth even when it costs. Daniel’s three friends refused to lie or compromise before Babylon’s king (Daniel 3:16-18). Their integrity invites us to do likewise. • Cultivate a palate for righteousness. Fill your heart with God’s Word so that, when you open your mouth, life flows out instead of iniquity (Psalm 119:11; Ephesians 4:29). • Remember Jesus, “the faithful and true Witness” (Revelation 3:14). Trusting Him not only forgives our past falsehoods but also empowers new speech marked by grace and truth. summary Proverbs 19:28 exposes two linked sins: bearing false witness and delighting in evil speech. A liar in court “mocks justice,” showing open contempt for God’s righteous order. The same mouth, unrestrained by truth, “swallows iniquity,” consuming sin with appetite rather than disgust. In contrast, God calls His people to truthful testimony, reverence for justice, and words that reflect a redeemed heart. |
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