What is the meaning of Proverbs 26:25? When he speaks graciously • The proverb pictures a person who comes wrapped in winsome, soothing words. “His speech is smooth as butter, but war is in his heart” (Psalm 55:21). • Scripture often warns about flattering lips that disguise ill intent: – “A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet” (Proverbs 29:5). – “They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart” (Psalm 12:2). • Such gracious talk can feel disarming, even God-honoring, yet Proverbs reminds us that pleasant words are not proof of a godly heart. “The lips of the forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood” (Proverbs 5:3-4). • Gracious speech is beautiful when it rises from genuine love and truth (Colossians 4:6), but here Solomon addresses the counterfeit—sweetness masking hostility. do not believe him • Wisdom refuses to grant automatic trust simply because someone sounds kind. “The simple man believes every word, but the prudent man watches his steps” (Proverbs 14:15). • God calls His people to test what they hear: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits” (1 John 4:1). • Even our Lord “did not entrust Himself to them, for He knew all men” (John 2:24). He models discernment—charity toward persons, yet caution toward hidden motives. • Trusting words alone can lead to disappointment and danger; therefore “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man” (Psalm 118:8). for seven abominations fill his heart • The phrase points to a heart teeming with complete wickedness; “seven” paints the picture of fullness. Compare Proverbs 6:16-19, where seven hated things include: – haughty eyes – a lying tongue – hands that shed innocent blood – a heart that devises wicked schemes – feet quick to rush into evil – a false witness – one who sows discord • Jesus echoes this inward-outward dynamic: “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries… These are what defile a man” (Matthew 15:19-20). • The inner life determines the quality of speech; a corrupt well cannot pour out pure water. Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can understand it?”. • Because only God sees the heart (1 Samuel 16:7), we lean on His Word, not mere charm, to size up character. summary Proverbs 26:25 warns that charming words are not always a window into a trustworthy soul. Warm speech may cloak a heart saturated with the very sins God detests. Wisdom listens politely yet tests carefully, anchoring confidence in the Lord rather than in eloquence. Discernment protects us from the snare of flattery and keeps us walking in truth. |
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