Key Verse Spotlight
Proverbs 26:28 - Meaning and Application
Understand how this verse speaks to what you're facing and how to apply it today
Translation: World English Bible — Catholic Edition
" A lying tongue hates those it hurts; and a flattering mouth works ruin. "
Proverbs 26:28
Verse in Context
Understanding the surrounding verses prevents misinterpretation:
26 His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it. Whoever rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts; and a flattering mouth works ruin.
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There are two kinds of lies, and both are equally hateful. One is a slandering lie, which openly shows hatred toward the person it speaks about. A lying tongue hurts those it attacks with false reports and insults because it hates them. It can strike them secretly, where they have no way to defend themselves. It also grows to hate them more because it has hurt them and turned them into enemies.
The harm in this kind of lie is easy to see. It hurts, it hates, and it does not hide its purpose. Everyone can recognize it. The other kind is a flattering lie, which quietly works to destroy the person it is spoken to. In the first case, the damage is plain, so people guard against it as much as they can. In the second case, the danger is little suspected, and people often ruin themselves by believing their own praise and the compliments given to them. A wise person will therefore fear a flatterer who kisses and kills more than a slanderer who openly declares war.
From This Chapter
Proverbs 26:1
"Like snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool."
Proverbs 26:2
"Like a fluttering sparrow, like a darting swallow, so the undeserved curse doesn’t come to rest."
Proverbs 26:3
"A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools!"
Proverbs 26:4
"Don’t answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him."
Proverbs 26:5
"Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes."
Proverbs 26:6
"One who sends a message by the hand of a fool is cutting off feet and drinking violence."
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