Proverbs 26:18-28

18 Like a madman who throws ¹Firebrands, arrows and death,

19 So is the man who ²deceives his neighbor, And says, "³Was I not joking?"

20 For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no ⁴whisperer, ⁵contention quiets down.

21 Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, So is a ⁶contentious man to kindle strife.

22 The ⁷words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts of the body.

23 Like an earthen ⁸vessel overlaid with silver ⁹dross Are burning lips and a wicked heart.

24 He who ¹⁰hates disguises it with his lips, But he lays up ¹¹deceit in his heart.

25 When he ¹²speaks graciously, do not believe him, For there are seven abominations in his heart.

26 Though his hatred ¹³covers itself with guile, His wickedness will be ¹⁴revealed before the assembly.

27 He who ¹⁵digs a pit will fall into it, And he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.

28 A lying tongue hates those it crushes, And a ¹⁶flattering mouth works ruin.

Proverbs 26:18-28 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 13

In this chapter is an account of a man of God being sent to exclaim against Jeroboam's altar, and threaten its destruction, of which he gave a sign, which was accomplished, and with it the withering of the king's hand, which was healed upon the prophet's prayer for him, 1Ki 13:1-7, who would have entertained him at his house, but he refused the offer, and departed, 1Ki 13:8-10, but an old prophet in Bethel hearing of him, rode after him, and fetched him back to eat bread with him, through a lie he told him, 1Ki 13:11-19 upon which the word came to the old prophet, threatening the man of God with death for disobeying his command, and which was accordingly executed by a lion that met him in the way, and slew him, 1Ki 13:20-24, of which the old prophet being informed, went and took up his carcass, and buried it in his own sepulchre, where he charged his sons to bury him also when dead, believing that all the man of God had said would be fulfilled, 1Ki 13:25-30 and the chapter is closed with observing the continuance of Jeroboam in his idolatry, 1Ki 13:33,34.

Cross References

• 1. Isaiah 50:11
• 2. Proverbs 24:28
• 3. Ephesians 5:4
• 4. Proverbs 16:28
• 5. Proverbs 22:10
• 6. Proverbs 15:18; Proverbs 29:22
• 7. Proverbs 18:8
• 8. Matthew 23:27; Luke 11:39
• 9. Proverbs 25:4
• 10. Psalms 41:6; Proverbs 10:18
• 11. Proverbs 12:20
• 12. Psalms 28:3; Proverbs 26:23; Jeremiah 9:8
• 13. Matthew 23:28
• 14. Luke 8:17
• 15. Esther 7:10; Proverbs 28:10
• 16. Proverbs 29:5

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "chambers of the belly"
• [b] Lit "inward part"
• [c] Lit "his voice is gracious"
• [d] Lit "its crushed ones"