Proverbs 17:4

4 Evil people listen to evil ideas, and liars listen to lies.

Proverbs 17:4 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 17:4

A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips
A man of an ill spirit, of a mischievous disposition, that delights in doing wickedness; he carefully attends to such as speak falsehood; he listens to lies and calumnies, loves to hear ill reports of persons, and takes pleasure in spreading them to the hurt of their characters; and men of bad hearts and lives give heed to seducing spirits, to false teachers, to inch as speak lies in hypocrisy, who sooth and harden them in their wickedness; [and] a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue:
or, "to a tongue of destruction" ^F1; a culumniating, backbiting tongue, which destroys the good name and reputation of men; and he that is given to lying is made up of lying, or is a lie itself, as the word signifies; who roves and makes a lie, as antichrist and his followers; such an one hearkens diligently to everything that may detract from the character of those especially he bears an ill will to: or it may be better rendered, "he that hearkens to a lie [gives heed] to a naughty tongue" ^F2; for a lying tongue is a naughty one, evil in itself, pernicious in its effects and consequences.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F1 (twh Nwvl le) "perniciosae linguae", Tigurine version; "linguae confractionum calamitatum, injuriarum", Vatablus; "ad linguam exiliorum", Michaelis.
F2 So Michaelis.

Proverbs 17:4 In-Context

2 A shrewd servant will gain authority over a master's worthless son and receive a part of the inheritance.

3 Gold and silver are tested by fire, and a person's heart is tested by the Lord.

4 Evil people listen to evil ideas, and liars listen to lies.

5 If you make fun of poor people, you insult the God who made them. You will be punished if you take pleasure in someone's misfortune.

6 Grandparents are proud of their grandchildren, just as children are proud of their parents.