Proverbs 26.23
“Like the glaze covering an earthen vessel are fervent lips with an evil heart.”
The next four proverbs speak of manipulative, deceitful people. The passage is a warning not to take what people say at face value. Evil people can be smooth talkers who say nice things but actually mean harm.
Verse 23 provides a vivid illustration of this deceitfulness: How glaze can cover clay in order to produce what appears to be a beautiful jar. However, the glaze is only a covering, a veneer, a facade. It is very thin and only covers the vessel. It does not always represent the actual content of the jar. Once you look beneath the glaze, once you get beyond the facade, once you penetrate to the inside, then you see the clay of the vessel and what the jar actually contains.
The glaze gives the illusion of a gold or silver vessel, but that is not always the reality. The same is true of the smooth speech of someone with evil intentions. There are deceitful, manipulative people who fervently express affection with their words, but who actually are driven by hate in their heart. Their outward appearance is pleasant, but their inward reality is evil. They are hiding behind a manufactured veneer.
So be careful! Don’t believe everything you hear. Be especially careful when people speak with “fervent lips.” Look beyond the glaze. Look beneath the facade. Have the wisdom and discernment to see through external appearance to the reality that lies within.
Proverbs 26.24-26
“Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart; when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart; though his hatred be covered with deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.”
Verse 24 gives an additional warning, but does so with a more direct statement. It warns that those who hate often hide and disguise their emotions. They seek to deceive and mislead, often by saying nice things, while inside their hatred burns.
Verse 25 moves from observation to advice. It is a call to be skeptical and discerning of the speech and motives of others. We are told to be wise and to recognize the signs when others are not honestly reflecting their true feelings. This is a healthy skepticism that protects us from deceitful manipulators. It is not a call to be cynical; it is an admonition to be careful.
The verse uses a strong statement concerning “seven abominations.” Seven is a symbolic number representing “completion or abundance.” In other words, deceitful people are thoroughly disreputable and very dangerous.
Verse 26 indicates that even though people can hide their true thoughts for awhile, eventually those thoughts will come out in public. They can only keep up the facade for so long. At some point, they will reveal what is actually on their heart.
Protect yourself. Guard your heart. Exercise discernment and don’t be deceived.
