Proverbs 26:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart;

NIV: Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit.

NASB: One who hates disguises it with his lips, But he harbors deceit in his heart.

CSB: A hateful person disguises himself with his speech and harbors deceit within.

NLT: People may cover their hatred with pleasant words, but they’re deceiving you.

KJV: He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him;

NKJV: He who hates, disguises it with his lips, And lays up deceit within himself;

This verse further develops a thought begun in the prior verse (Proverbs 26:23). The given metaphor was the glaze covering a clay pot: it may be attractive, but it's just a thin disguise. What's underneath is not as valuable, or as pretty. A person who puts on a show, trying to fool others, but who is evil in the heart, is in the same spiritual state. Jesus criticized "hypocrites," who say one thing while believing something else, using related imagery (Matthew 23:25). The Greek term translated "hypocrite" is closely related to the term for an actor: a person who pretends.

Some disguise their hate and malice using careful words. They give the impression of being calm, or kind, or reasonable. A classic example of this is Judas's kiss, which appeared to be friendly, but was an act of betrayal (Luke 22:47–48). A graphic example of "disguised lips" comes from Joab and Amasa, in 2 Samuel 20:9–10. Joab politely spoke, and moved as if he were greeting Amasa, only to deliver a gruesome, fatal wound.

The next proverb continues to warn against such people. If we have reason to think someone is malicious or hateful, we should be very suspicious of their words (Proverbs 26:25). Eventually, the veneer will crack, and others will find out the truth (Proverbs 26:26).

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.