Proverbs 17:7 - Meaning and Application

Two things are shown here as very foolish. First, it is absurd for men of no reputation to act as if they have authority. What could be more out of place than for fools, people known to have little sense and judgment, to pretend to a role above them, one they were never fit for? In Solomon’s proverbs, a fool often means a wicked man. Good speech does not suit him, because his behavior proves his words false. What right do those have to speak God’s commands who hate correction? (Psalm 50:16). Christ would not allow the unclean spirits to say that they knew him to be the Son of God (Acts 16:17-18).

Second, it is just as wrong for people of high rank to be deceitful. If it is shameful for a lowly man to try to speak like a philosopher or politician, and no one trusts him because of his character, it is far worse for a prince, or any honored man, to use his reputation and the trust people place in him in order to lie, pretend, and break his word without conscience. Lying is bad for any person, but it is worst in a ruler. Such corrupt thinking is behind the idea that princes should not be bound by their promises any more than suits their own advantage. As the saying goes, “He who does not know how to hide the truth does not know how to rule.”