The Importance Of Truth And Sound Authority (Proverbs 12:17-24).
In this next subsection the stress is on truth as opposed to falsehood, on authority as opposed to disobedience, and on the benefits accruing from both. Truth is especially stressed in Proverbs 12:17; Proverbs 12:19; Proverbs 12:22, but also implied in Proverbs 12:18; Proverbs 12:20. Falsehood is stressed in Proverbs 12:17; Proverbs 12:19-20; Proverbs 12:22, and implied in Proverbs 12:18; Proverbs 12:23. The true witness shows forth and establishes righteousness, thus underpinning justice (Proverbs 12:17), and such as speak truth will be established for ever (Proverbs 12:19). Those who counsel peace and wellbeing are joyful (Proverbs 12:20), and no mischief will happen to the righteous, because authority and justice prevail, and YHWH is over all (Proverbs 12:21). For those who deal truly are YHWH's delight (Proverbs 12:22). The shrewd man is wise in what he says and when he says it, and is careful not to thrust the knowledge of God (Proverbs 2:5) on those not ready to receive it (Proverbs 12:23), whilst it is the diligent who will rise to the top and receive authority (Proverbs 12:24). Underlying all is that truth establishes good government, and makes life secure, and that in the end it will prevail because YHWH is over all.
In contrast are the unrighteous. They show forth deceit (Proverbs 12:17), speak rashly and hurtfully (Proverbs 12:18), are of short duration (Proverbs 12:19), devise evil (Proverbs 12:20), will experience evil (Proverbs 12:21), are an abomination to YHWH (Proverbs 12:22), proclaim foolishness (Proverbs 12:23), and because they are slothful, end up as forced labourers (Proverbs 12:24).
It should be noted that on the basis of the Prologue we can identify the one who utters truth (Proverbs 12:17), with the wise man (Proverbs 12:18), the counsellors of wellbeing (Proverbs 12:20), the righteous (Proverbs 12:21), those who deal truly (Proverbs 12:22), the shrewd man (Proverbs 12:23), and the diligent man (Proverbs 12:24).
The subsection is presented chiastically:
A He who utters truth shows forth righteousness, but a false witness, deceit (Proverbs 12:17).
B There is who speaks rashly like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise is health (Proverbs 12:18).
C The lip of truth will be established for ever, But a lying tongue is but for a moment (Proverbs 12:19).
D Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but to the counsellors of peace is joy (Proverbs 12:20).
D There will no mischief happen to the righteous, but the wicked will be filled with evil (Proverbs 12:21).
C Lying lips are an abomination to YHWH, but those who deal truly are his delight (Proverbs 12:22).
B A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims foolishness (Proverbs 12:23).
A The hand of the diligent will bear rule, but the slothful will be put under taskwork (Proverbs 12:24).
Note that A and its parallel deal with two of the most important virtues, truth and diligence. Truth establishes sound justice, diligence establishes sound authority, an essential for sound justice. Where truth is lacking, justice collapses. Where diligence is lacking, authority becomes inefficient, and if authority fails, justice is likely to be lacking (especially in ancient days where justice and authority went hand in hand. The king was also the chief justice). In B speaking rashly parallels proclaiming foolishness, whilst a wise tongue parallels using knowledge wisely. In C the lying tongue parallels lying lips, whilst the lip of truth parallels those who deal truly. Centrally in D the deceitful devise evil, whilst in the parallel the wicked experience evil.
‘He who utters truth shows forth righteousness,
But a false witness, deceit.'
As already mentioned this subsection is about true justice and sound authority, and the things which could undermine both were it not for YHWH's built in safety devices and overall watch. This proverb deals with the protagonists. On the one hand are those who utter truth, and are true witnesses before authority. They show forth and establish righteousness, for where truth is lacking injustice prevails. (They are the wise, the righteous, the discerning, the diligent). In contrast is the false witness. He shows forth and seeks to establish deceit. He perjures himself in order to gain false ends. (He is the fool, the scorner, the worthless man, the violent).
So concerned was God that justice should prevail that the Torah declared severe penalties on those who perjured themselves. If found out they would be sentenced to the same punishment that they had sought to bring on others (Deuteronomy 19:16-19).
Sadly history is full of examples where false witness has prevailed, but only where authority has been corrupt or has been weak and vacillating. We can consider the example of Naboth who was judicially executed as a result of false witness and corrupt authority, in the time of a weak and vacillating king (1 Kings 21). And we have the prime example of our Lord Jesus Christ who was sentenced as a result of false witness, and crucified as a consequence of a corrupt regime and a weak and vacillating Pilate. In both cases truth and sound authority were lacking.
What is, however, of greatest importance is that inbuilt into creation is the fact that good tends to triumph over evil (thus the diligent rise to the top - Proverbs 12:24) and that in the end it is righteousness that will prevail. That is the constant message of Scripture (e.g. Isaiah 11:1-4).
‘There is who speaks rashly like the piercings of a sword,
But the tongue of the wise is health.'
Solomon was in no doubt that truth and falsehood vied with each other, and he points out that those who speak rashly are causing people harm, piercing them as though with a sword. For the heart of fools proclaim foolishness (Proverbs 12:23). People who would never think of waving a sword around dangerously, will quite happily fling their words around thoughtlessly and equally dangerously. In contrast the tongue of wise men will speak truth, and will contribute towards the health of society, and the health of individuals, and will only speak when it is wise to do so (Proverbs 12:23). It will also speak in a way that is conducive to other people's good (and withhold from speaking when it is not to anyone's good - Proverbs 12:23).
‘The lip of truth will be established for ever,
But a lying tongue is but for a moment.'
What is, however, important to recognise is that truth will prevail. Those who speak truth (the lip of truth), and what they stand for, will be established for ever. For truth, like wisdom, lies at the very root of creation, and those who deal truly are His delight (Proverbs 12:22). In contrast the lying tongue is only very temporary. It is an aberration. It is but for a moment (the wink of an eye) and will soon pass away. For lying lips are an abomination to YHWH (Proverbs 12:22).
We have already seen that ‘the righteous is established for ever' (Proverbs 10:25); that ‘the root of the righteous will never be moved' (Proverbs 12:3); that ‘the house of the righteous will stand' (Proverbs 12:7); now we are informed that the truthful lip (and therefore its owner) is established for ever. Truth and righteousness go together.
Note that ‘the truthful lip' parallels ‘the lying tongue'. One refers to the words of those who speak truth, the other to those who speak deceitfully.
‘Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,
But to the counsellors of peace is joy.'
In Proverbs 12:17 it was ‘a false witness who utters deceit', and ‘rash words' (Proverbs 12:18) and ‘a lying tongue' (Proverbs 12:19) also indicated deceit. Thus deceit is a theme of Proverbs 12:17-20. It also continues in Proverbs 12:22-23. Here Solomon tells us that deceit is ‘in the heart of those who scheme and devise evil'. Not to walk in the truth and in righteousness is to walk deceitfully. As Jeremiah declared, ‘the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately unrighteous' (Jeremiah 17:9). By the heart is meant the mind, will and emotions. And the result of this will be that they will be filled with the consequences of evil (Proverbs 12:21). What a man sows he will reap.
In contrast to the devisers of evil are the counsellors of peace and wellbeing, in other words those who pass on the wisdom which leads to peace and wellbeing (Proverbs 3:16-18). And their hearts, instead of being filled with deceit, are filled with joy. Indeed, no mischief will happen to the righteous (Proverbs 12:21).
‘There will no mischief happen to the righteous,
But the wicked will be filled with evil.'
The parallel clauses suggest that we should see ‘filled with evil' as being a consequence of the attitude and behaviour of the wicked, in the same way as ‘no mischief' is the consequence of the attitude and behaviour of the righteous. Thus we have here the assurance that no mischief (nothing bad) will happen to the righteous, whilst the unrighteous will get their fill of evil (compare Proverbs 1:18; Proverbs 1:26-27; Proverbs 1:32; Proverbs 2:18-19; etc.). They will receive their reward for their deceitful ways.
But what does he mean when he says that no mischief will happen to the righteous? Clearly it does not indicate that they will be safe from the mischief that evil men will bring on men by their evil devices. In the short run at least the righteous do often suffer at the hands of the unrighteous. But as we have seen the background to this subsection is the carrying out of justice by the authorities (Proverbs 12:17). Thus there are two ways of taking this promise to the righteous. Firstly as a general principle in a just society, the idea being that they will not be of those who are hauled before the courts for judgment. And secondly as a promise that they need not be afraid of the judgment of God and of His wrath for they will be preserved from them (Proverbs 11:4; Proverbs 11:23).
‘Lying lips are an abomination to YHWH,
But those who deal truly are his delight.'
Solomon now makes clear the grounds for the promise in Proverbs 12:21. The wicked will given their fill of evil because lying lips are an abomination to YHWH, they go against the very fabric of creation, whilst the righteous, those who ‘deal truly', will be kept from ‘mischief' (anything bad) at the hands of justices and also at His hands because they are His delight. We have in this further introduction of the Name of YHWH a reminder that He and His activity constantly underlie what is written in Proverbs.
‘A shrewd man conceals knowledge,
But the heart of fools proclaims foolishness.'
In Proverbs 12:18 we were told that ‘the tongue of the wise is health', in other words that what the righteous say contributes to the health and wellbeing of the community, and of those who are in that community. Here we are reminded that there are times when it is right not to speak. The shrewd man does not conceal knowledge from those who seek it, but he does from those who would mock at it or misuse it. He weighs his words carefully depending on who is hearing him. He is concerned that his words do not cause unnecessary hurt. There are times when it is best for things not to be known (compare Proverbs 11:13, ‘he who is of a faithful spirit conceals the matter (the tales being spread about)', and Proverbs 13:3, ‘he who guards his mouth preserves life'). Thus, for example, we may consider that it is best not to bring up the doctrine of election with a non-Christian, especially one who mocks Christianity; we may feel it best not to air our ‘knowledge' about mental illness with someone whom we know whose close relative is mentally ill; and there are times, when passions are roused, that it is best for things not to be made known, keeping them for a time when reason prevails.
A similar thought, although expressed in a very different way, occurred in the Instruction of Amenemope, ‘better is one whose speech is in his belly, than he who tells it to cause harm'.
Fools, however, have no such inhibitions. From their hearts they proclaim their worldly wisdom, which is foolishness. They often speak rashly, hurting people by their words (Proverbs 12:18), or speak confidently about things that they know nothing about. They do not care whom they hurt.
‘The hand of the diligent will bear rule,
But the slothful will be put under taskwork.
We need to recognise here that Solomon equates the diligent with the righteous and the wise, just as he equates the slothful with the unrighteous and fool (Proverbs 6:6-11; Proverbs 10:4; Proverbs 13:4). He is thus declaring that it is the diligent and wise and righteous who will tend to attain positions of authority, certainly in the ideal world. Thus those who judge the cause in the case of the witnesses of Proverbs 12:17, whose tongues bring health to the people (Proverbs 12:18), and who are counsellors of peace and wellbeing (Proverbs 12:20), and who deal truly with people (Proverbs 12:22), are regularly men of authority. Here we learn that they have been put in a position to do this because they are diligent and wise. Truth triumphs because good men are given positions of authority. Consider Proverbs 8:14-16. There would otherwise be little point in bringing truth before them, or in seeking their counsel. This proverb therefore underlines why the previous proverbs are effective.
In contrast to the diligent and wise are the slothful and foolish. They become poor, neglect their responsibilities, avoid hard labour, and therefore ironically find themselves conscripted to the hardest labour of all. This is where their deceit has brought them.