Proverbs 12:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous escapes from trouble.

NIV: Evildoers are trapped by their sinful talk, and so the innocent escape trouble.

NASB: An evil person is ensnared by the offense of his lips, But the righteous will escape from trouble.

CSB: By rebellious speech an evil person is trapped, but a righteous person escapes from trouble.

NLT: The wicked are trapped by their own words, but the godly escape such trouble.

KJV: The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips: but the just shall come out of trouble.

NKJV: The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, But the righteous will come through trouble.

Solomon teaches that an evil person is entangled in a trap by what he says. A common English expression refers to a "web of lies," speaking to the complicated tangle that comes with dishonesty. A natural, unavoidable risk of deceit is when those webs collapse on themselves. Sooner or later, a liar will be caught in their own web. As Solomon notes, the ungodly person lies about others and curses them, but his evil speech boomerangs and ensnares him. Psalm 7:16 declares that the wicked man's "mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends."

This also comes with an eternal component. The wicked man's corrupt words are evidence of his corrupt nature, and they will hold him accountable on the day of judgment. Jesus said, "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12:36–37).

Because a righteous person speaks words that disclose the righteous nature of his heart, he will not be condemned. Those who tell the truth don't have to worry about catching themselves in their own lies. Words matter, and therefore they should be expressed thoughtfully and prayerfully. If the word of Christ dwells in a person richly, edifying, grateful words will issue from him (Colossians 3:16–17).

Proverbs 12:12–23 continues Solomon's contrast of a wise righteous person and a wicked fool. In this segment, he focuses mainly on their different speech patterns. He points out that the words of a liar are an abomination to the Lord, whereas the Lord delights in the words of a wise person.

Proverbs 12 contains a series of contrasts between lifestyles, comparing those who honor God to those who reject His wisdom. The results of those decisions are also compared. This repeats several common themes from the book of Proverbs, such as the self-destructive nature of sin and God's distaste for those who lie.

Proverbs 12 continues Solomon's wise sayings. A large portion of the book of Proverbs includes these short, common sense pieces of advice. After a series of introductions and lessons in chapters 1—9, chapter 10 began a long list of individual statements. In this chapter he continues to contrast the righteous and the wicked, showing that the life of the righteous is far better than the life of the wicked. This pattern will continue, covering the same basic theme, through chapter 15.

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.