When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart.
Parallel translations
- WEB When his speech is charming, don’t believe him; for there are seven abominations in his heart.
- KJV When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart.
- NKJV When he speaks kindly, do not believe him, For there are seven abominations in his heart;
- NASB When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, Because there are seven abominations in his heart.
- NLT They pretend to be kind, but don’t believe them. Their hearts are full of many evils.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Do not trust charming speech, for the heart behind it may be full of evil. Pleasant words are no guarantee of sincerity.
Overview
Continuing verse 24, this counsels wariness toward gracious-sounding words that conceal abundant wickedness within. Discernment must weigh the heart, not just the voice. It echoes Scripture's repeated warning that flattery and smooth talk can deceive the unwary (Rom 16:18).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Prov 6:16–19There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him:
- Jer 12:6Even your brothers—your own father’s household—even they have betrayed you; even they have cried aloud against you. Do not trust them, though they speak well of you.
- Ps 28:3Do not drag me away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, who speak peace to their neighbors while malice is in their hearts.
- Matt 24:23At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it.
- Jer 9:2–8If only I had a traveler’s lodge in the wilderness, I would abandon my people and depart from them, for they are all adulterers, a crowd of faithless people.
- Ps 12:2They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart.
- Mic 7:5Do not rely on a friend; do not trust in a companion. Seal the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 26:25 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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