What does Proverbs 12:17 mean?
ESV: Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit.
NIV: An honest witness tells the truth, but a false witness tells lies.
NASB: One who declares truth tells what is right, But a false witness, deceit.
CSB: Whoever speaks the truth declares what is right, but a false witness speaks deceit.
NLT: An honest witness tells the truth; a false witness tells lies.
KJV: He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit.
NKJV: He who speaks truth declares righteousness, But a false witness, deceit.
Verse Commentary:
The comment made here seems like a "truism"—a self-affirming or obvious remark—at first. Taken lightly, the English translation seems to say honest people are honest, and liars lie. The context of these phrases, however, involves the kind of "evidence" and "witness" one would expect to see in a courtroom. The word for "truth" here is emu'nāh, implying a person's perception of what is real and actual: a sincere, open conviction. Also, the Hebrew indicates a person who "breathes" truth. The person whose life is marked by natural, innate honesty gives trustworthy testimony (Matthew 5:37). In contrast, the person who habitually lies can't be trusted, no matter what they say. Each witness reveals his character by what he says.
The apostles Peter and John gave truthful evidence about Jesus before the rulers, elders, and scribes. They testified honestly that Jesus is the Messiah who had risen from the dead. When the rulers, elders, and scribes commanded them not to speak or teach in Jesus' name, the apostles answered, "We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20). Their honest witness showed clearly that they were righteous. On the other hand, the witnesses who had appeared before the chief priests and the Jewish council were deceitful. Matthew 26:59 reports that "the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death." Although many false witnesses showed up, they were disqualified. All these false witnesses demonstrated their unrighteous character.
Verse Context:
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.
Chapter Summary:
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.
Chapter Context:
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.
Book Summary:
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.
Accessed 5/4/2024 4:29:04 AM
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