When he speaks kindly, do not believe him, For there are seven abominations in 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.
- BSB When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill 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 which Yahweh hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him:
- Jer 12:6For even your brothers, and the house of your father, even they have dealt treacherously with you; even they have cried aloud after you! Don’t believe them, though they speak beautiful words to you.
- Ps 28:3Don’t draw me away with the wicked, with the workers of iniquity who speak peace with their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts.
- Matt 24:23“Then if any man tells you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There,’ don’t believe it.
- Jer 9:2–8Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! For they are all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.
- Ps 12:2Everyone lies to his neighbor. They speak with flattering lips, and with a double heart.
- Mic 7:5Don’t trust in a neighbor. Don’t put confidence in a friend. With the woman lying in your embrace, be careful of the words of your mouth!
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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