Proverbs 26:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, "I am only joking!"

NIV: is one who deceives their neighbor and says, "I was only joking!"

NASB: So is a person who deceives his neighbor, And says, 'Was I not joking?'

CSB: so is the person who deceives his neighbor and says, "I was only joking!"

NLT: is someone who lies to a friend and then says, 'I was only joking.'

KJV: So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?

NKJV: Is the man who deceives his neighbor, And says, “I was only joking!”

This completes a lesson begun in the prior verse (Proverbs 26:18). Solomon (Proverbs 25:1) depicted someone insane and out of control, launching flaming arrows in every direction. Whether or not that person intends to cause harm makes no difference. What they do is still dangerous and will harm others. The modern world is full of similar attempts to avoid accountability: "I was drunk…I was angry…I didn't realize…" In a modern context, we might picture someone firing a gun in random directions. Telling an unfortunate victim "I didn't shoot you on purpose" doesn't take away their injury.

In the same way, lies cannot be excused by claiming "I didn't mean it," or suggesting it was a joke. Whether someone is sincere or not, their words can harm others. That's true whether the falsehood is deliberate (Exodus 20:16; 1 Timothy 4:2), or the result of hasty judgment (Proverbs 18:13, 17; John 7:24). Why someone spoke false words is irrelevant to the damage those words can do. Claiming one was not serious is no excuse, at all (Matthew 12:36–37). Guarding our speech can be exceedingly difficult (James 3:2–5), but it's a crucial part of spiritual maturity. It's also part of following the example of Christ (John 14:6), who did not speak dishonestly (1 Peter 2:22).

Proverbs 26:17–28 turns from a focus on laziness to discussion about conflict. Solomon (Proverbs 25:1) warns against prying into other people's arguments, gossip, and dishonest speech. He also cautions about the danger of casual lies. How and when a person chooses to speak greatly influences their involvement in conflict.

This chapter includes three main sections. The first repeatedly refers to a "fool," meaning someone lacking godly wisdom (Proverbs 1:7). The second warns against being lazy. The third condemns careless conflict, lying, and warns about those who disguise their hate with words. Several statements in this passage repeat or echo others made in the book of Proverbs.

Chapter 25 introduced another section of Solomon's proverbs (Proverbs 25:1). These were collected by later scribes; the list runs through the end of chapter 29. This chapter covers topics such as foolishness, laziness, and conflict. This echoes principles given in other proverbs.

Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom” is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.