What is the meaning of Proverbs 26:24? A hateful man • Solomon points to a person motivated by hostility rather than love. Proverbs 10:18 warns, “He who conceals hatred has lying lips,” showing that hatred often hides behind words. • Hatred violates the command to love our neighbor (Leviticus 19:18; 1 John 3:15). The hateful man is therefore already out of fellowship with God and man. • Rather than displaying anger openly, this individual opts for a subtler, more dangerous route—masking his true feelings while keeping animosity alive inside. disguises himself with his speech • Smooth, flattering words can sound convincing, yet Proverbs 26:23 likens such speech to “glaze covering an earthen vessel,” attractive on the surface but weak underneath. • Psalm 55:21 describes the same tactic: “His speech is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart.” • This disguise can include: – Compliments intended to manipulate. – Promises with hidden conditions. – Agreement feigned to gain advantage. • Jesus teaches that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). When words contradict actions, the true heart eventually shows. but he lays up deceit in his heart • The hateful person stores, stockpiles, and carefully plans deception. Jeremiah 17:9 warns that “the heart is deceitful above all things,” and here we see that deceit being nurtured. • Rather than repenting of bitterness, he strategizes: – When to expose another’s weakness. – How to twist facts to his benefit. – Where to position himself for maximum gain. • Proverbs 6:16–19 lists “a heart that devises wicked schemes” among the seven things the Lord hates, emphasizing the seriousness of this inner plotting. • Eventually deception erupts into action; Psalm 7:14 pictures one who “conceives trouble and gives birth to falsehood.” summary Proverbs 26:24 exposes the danger of concealed hatred. A person filled with animosity may cloak that hostility with agreeable speech, but beneath the pleasant façade he is diligently planning deceit. Scripture urges discernment, reminding us that smooth words can mask evil intentions and that God both sees and judges the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). |
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