CRITICAL NOTES.—
Proverbs 12:17. Speaketh, literally “breathes.”
Proverbs 12:18. Speaketh, literally “babbles.” Health, “healing.”
Proverbs 12:19. A moment, literally “while I wink.”
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Proverbs 12:17-19, and Proverbs 12:22
WOUNDING AND HEALING
I. The mischief that may be done by a lying tongue.
1. In a legal matter. It is the duty of a witness to testify exactly what he knows, and no more nor less. If a man speaks deceitfully he may bring much misery upon the innocent, whom his straightforward testimony would have acquitted. And he may do this by withholding truth as well as by uttering direct falsehood. The first is “showing forth deceit” as well as the last.
2. In common conversation. The word “speaketh,” in Proverbs 12:18, is “babbleth,” and seems to point to those who are great talkers, and who are not careful what they say. (See Homiletics on chap. Proverbs 10:19-21, page 168.) In both these cases words may inflict a more deadly wound than a sword. If spoken to a man they may break his heart, if spoken of him they may kill his reputation, which no sword of steel can touch, and which to the best men is much more precious than bodily life. A lying or even a babbling tongue can pierce a much more vital organisation than flesh and blood—it can enter the human spirit, and hurt it in its most sensitive part; or by slander it can destroy all the joy of a man’s earthly life. And as a sword can in a moment sever the spirit and the body of a man, and work such ruin and misery as can never be done away with, so a lying tongue may by one word, or one conversation, do mischief that can never be undone. The sword of steel can divide human friends locally; but it cannot sever their love; it tends rather to increase and brighten the flame; but a word of slander may do all this, and estrange those who were bound in the tenderest ties, until the God of Truth shall bring the truth to light. Though the lying tongue is comparatively “but for a moment,” yet in a moment it can deal a thrust that will last as long as life. It can open a wound whence will flow out all the joy of life, as the heart’s blood flows from a mortally wounded man.
II. Its judgment and its destiny. It is an abomination in the sight of a God of Truth, and, therefore, its life is comparatively short—it is “but for a moment” compared with the eternal duration of truth. A lying man or devil is the very antipodes of the Divine character. All truthful men instinctively shrink from a liar as the sensitive plant withdraws from the human touch. How much more must he be held in abhorrence by Him who is a “God of Truth, and without iniquity” (Deuteronomy 32:4). Christ characterises lying as the cardinal sin of the greatest sinner in the universe (John 8:44). It was his lying tongue that “brought death into the world, and all our woe,” and so spoiled the Paradise which God had prepared for man. How then can lying be any other than an abomination to Him? But, because it is so, its doom is fixed. It is destined to destruction by the victory of truth, as the night is destroyed by the overcoming light of day. (On this subject see also Homiletics on Chap. Proverbs 10:18, page 166.)
III. The blessed results of a truthful and wisely-governed tongue.
1. It will “show forth righteousness.” A man who speaks the truth shows forth righteousness in two ways—
(1) in his own character. He reveals himself to be a righteous man. He gives a living example of uprightness and integrity.
(2) He helps on righteousness in the world. By being a faithful witness he furthers the ends of justice and righteousness—he helps on the just administration of the law.
2. It will heal wounds inflicted by the untruthful tongue. In nature we have a two-fold exhibition of power. The hurricane comes and breaks the branches of the tree, and strips off its leaves; but a more beneficent power clothes it again with beauty. So the tongue of a fool strips a man of what made life beautiful to him—takes away his good name, or breaks bonds of close friendship—but wise and kind words have a healing power in them—they help to cheer the wounded spirit, and enable the bowed head to lift itself again. Such a tongue of healing had the Divine Son of God, who came “to heal the broken in heart” (Isaiah 61:1), and to restore the friendship between God and man, which was first broken by the slandering tongue of the devil—that great slanderer of God to man, and of man to God” (Genesis 3:5; Job 1:10). To Him the “Lord God gave the tongue of the learned, that He might know how to speak a word in season to him that was weary (Isaiah 50:4). The tongue of all true servants of God is an instrument of healing, for they are enabled to tell to their fellow-men “words whereby they may be saved” (Acts 10:14).
IV. God’s estimation of it and its destiny. It is “God’s delight,” Proverbs 12:22. Whatever gives delight to a noble and benevolent man must be a blessing to humanity, and everything will delight him that tends to minister blessing to the world. This is pre-eminently true of the good God. Truth is the great need of the race—truth in word and deed and thought. To this end Christ came into the world “to bear witness of the truth” (John 18:37), because that alone is the cure for the world’s woes. Then every man who is true must bless humanity and consequently delight God. A good father rejoices to see his own excellencies of character appear in his son, and the Father of the good likewise delights to see His children copy Him in “dealing truly.” (See also on chap. Proverbs 11:1, page 191.) And because it is God’s delight it will last for ever. Truth of any kind will be established in the course of time. If a man proclaim a scientific truth, however much he may be laughed at and disbelieved at first, his “lip,” or his words, will be established in the end. The words of Galileo, when he uttered the truth, that the earth moved round the sun, have long since been “established.” Time only is needed for any truth to take root-hold—it can never be overturned, whether it be physical or moral truth. Many truths which were scoffed at by most men, when they were first promulgated, are now regarded as truisms by almost everybody. And the lips that uttered them are now established and held in honour. Such men, for instance, as Cromwell and Milton, when they declared that the right of private judgment in religious matters, the freedom of the press, etc., were the right of every man, are now established in the estimation of this nation, and the truths which they uttered are regarded by all Englishmen as undoubted facts. “This,” says F. W. Robertson, “is man’s relation to the truth. He is but a learner—a devout recipient of a revelation—here to listen with open ear devoutly for that which he shall hear; to gaze and watch for that which he shall see. Man can do no more. He cannot create truth; he can only bear witness to it; he can only listen and report that which is in the universe. If he does not repeat and witness to that, he speaketh of his own, and forthwith ceases to be true.… Veracity is another thing. Veracity is the correspondence between a proposition and a man’s belief. Truth is the correspondence of the proposition with fact.” It is to such witness-bearers—especially to those who witness concerning moral truth—that the promise of the text applies.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
Proverbs 12:17. He who is brought to a spiritual discernment of the “truth” “breathes” it like his breath, instinctively and unconsciously. (See Critical Notes.) And he who does this not simply “covers shame” (Proverbs 12:16), but causes others to, for he advertises righteousness—i.e., publishes it. This, therefore, is the meaning of the sentence: “He that breathes forth truth publishes righteousness”—i.e., saving righteousness: and does it like uttering forth his breath. While the “deceived” (false) witness; literally, the witness of falsehood; aphrase which is ambiguous, because it might mean a witness to falsehood (see chap. Proverbs 6:9)—the “deceived witness”—i.e., the man who sees or witnesses falsehood instead of truth, “publishes (understood) delusion”—i.e., is a constant fountain of deceit to other men. This sense of the witness of falsehood is necessary to many proverbs (chap Proverbs 14:5), and saves a number from tautological or truistic interpretations.—Miller.
There is more here than lies upon the surface. It might seem enough for a faithful witness to speak truth. But no—he must show forth righteousness; what is just, as well as what is true. The best intentioned purpose must not lead us to conceal what is necessary to bring the cause to a righteous issue.—Bridges.
The words read at first almost like a truism; but the thought which lies below the surface is that of the inseparable union between truth and justice. The end does not justify the means, and only he who breathes and utters truth makes the righteous cause clear. Plumptre.
He that speaketh, ordinarily, in his common speech, that which is true, will show righteousness—that is, will carry himself justly, and further righteousness with his testimony, when he shall be publicly called thereunto. There must be a training of the tongue to make it fit for equity and justice, as of the hands, and other parts of the body, to make them skilful in handling a weapon and bearing of arms.… No man is competent for any work that is public unless his former upright and honest conversation commend him unto it. The rule which our Saviour gives in another case will hold as firmly in this. “He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much” (Luke 16:10). For, first, the mouth of the man is the mouth of the man’s treasure. That which he speaketh he best loveth. That which is most in the lips hath greatest place in the heart. If, therefore, the truth be dear unto him, he will certainly show it forth when he shall stand forth before God and His substitute for that purpose, and so do a good service of love and piety; but if he have any fellowship with falsehood he will now take part with it, being void of the fear of God, and afraid to displease man. Secondly, no man exerciseth the truth at any time conscionably, but by the spirit of truth, and that directing men’s hearts at other times, in matters of less weight, will not fail them at their greatest need, when they are to perform a duty of so great importance; and so, on the other hand, Satan hath the disposing of their tongues that give themselves to lying. He is their father, he teacheth them their trade, and tasketh them in their work, and they be wholly at his commandment, and who doubteth but he will command them to be on his side, and to take against the truth, so far as a knowledge of the truth shall make against his practices.—Dod.
Proverbs 12:18. Wit, when not chastened and controlled by an amiable disposition, often wounds deeply. Jibes, jests, irony, raillery, and sarcasm, fly about. No matter what the wounds, or where they be inflicted, if the wit be but shown. A happy hit, a clever, biting repartee, will not be suppressed for the sake of the feelings, or even the character of a neighbour, or, as it may happen, a friend. The man of wit must have his joke, cost what it may. The point may be piercing in the extreme; but if it glitters it is enough; to the heart it will go.—Wardlaw.
Abimelech and his fellow priests were killed with the tongue, as with a rapier; so was Naboth and his sons; so was our Saviour Christ Himself. An honest mind is ever more afflicted with words than blows. You shall find some, saith Erasmus, that if they be threatened with death can despise it; but to be belied they cannot brook, nor from revenge contain themselves. How was David enraged by Nabal’s railings! Moses, by the people’s murmurings! Jeremiah by the derisions of the rude rabble! (chap. Proverbs 20:7-8.)—Trapp.
Among all the complaints which the godly, and God’s own spirit make against the wicked in the Scriptures, they seldom complain of anything more than of their virulent and pestiferous mouths (Psalms 55:21; Psalms 52:2; Proverbs 25:18; Romans 3:13). First, they cause swords to be drawn, and blood to be shed, and men to be slain, and much mischief to be wrought. Secondly. The sword, or any other weapon, can only hurt them that are present, and in places near to it; but the stroke of the tongue will light most dangerously upon them that are absent; no place or distance can help against it, and one man may do mischief to a great multitude.—Dod.
Proverbs 12:19. Liars need to have good memories. A lying tongue soon betrays itself. “No lie reaches old age,” says Sophocles.—Fausset.
The verse has been differently rendered. “The tongue of truth is ever steady: but the tongue of falsehood is so but for a moment” (Hodgson). There is unvarying consistency in the one case; for truth is always in harmony with itself; while there is shifting evasion, vacillation, contradiction, in the other.—Wardlaw.
Who will gainsay the martyr’s testimony—“Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, play the man! We shall this day light such a candle in England as I trust shall never be put out.”—Bridges.
The Christian shall utter for ever just the things that he utters on earth. Miller.
Proverbs 12:22. Not merely they that speak truly, but they that deal truly. Deeds of true dealing must confirm words of fair speaking.—Fausset.
A lie is a thing absolutely and intrinsically evil; it is an act of injustice and a violation of our neighbour’s rights. The vileness of its nature is equalled by the malignity of its effects; it first brought sin into the world, and is since the cause of all those miseries and calamities that disturb it; it tends utterly to overthrow and dissolve society, which is the greatest temporal blessing and support of mankind; it has a strange and peculiar efficacy above all other sins to indispose the heart to religion. It is as dreadful in its punishments as it has been pernicious in its effects.—South.
Honesty is just truth in conduct; and truth is honesty in words.—Wardlaw.
Such as speak the truth in uprightness will not vary in their talk, but tell the same tale again, and be like to themselves in that which they shall say; whereas liars be in and out, affirming and denying, and speaking contradictions in the same matter. Only true men are constant in their words. First, their matter will help their memory, for that which is truth once will be truth ever. Secondly, the same Spirit that worketh a love and conscience of the truth, whereby men are made to be true, doth never cease to be the same, therefore, as it seasoneth the heart and guideth it at the first, so it will establish it, and direct the lips to the end. For sincerity and uprightness is of all things most durable, and least subject to alteration or change. And that St. Paul assigneth for a cause of his invariable constancy, that he minded not those things that he did mind according to the flesh, whereby there should be with him, yea, yea, and nay, nay (2 Corinthians 1:17).—Dod.
Truth is always consistent with itself, and needs nothing to help it out; it is always near at hand, and sits upon our lips, and is ready to drop out before we are aware; whereas a lie is troublesome, and sets a man’s invention upon the rack, and one trick needs a good many more to make it good. It is like building upon a false foundation, which constantly needs props to shore it up, and proves at last more chargeable than to have raised a substantial building at first upon a true and solid foundation.—Tillotson.
Dare to be true, nothing can need a lie:
A fault which needs it most grows two thereby.
—Herbert.
God “desireth truth in the inward parts” (Psalms 51:6), and all His are “children that will not lie” (Isaiah 63:8); they will rather die than lie. As they “love in the truth” (2 John 1:1) so they “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), and are therefore dear to the Father in truth and love (2 John 1:3), especially since they “do truth” as well as speak it (1 John 1:6), and do not more desire to be truly good than they hate to seem to be so only.—Trapp.
God doth never hate anything that is not hateful, and that must needs be odious which He abhorreth, and especially when it is abomination. Ye may know by their companions among whom they are marshalled what account he maketh of them (see Revelation 21:8).… That truth which is acceptable to God consisteth both in speaking and doing.
1. His Spirit doth make every man that hath attained to the one to be able to do the other. That which St. John setteth down in a more general manner doth strongly confirm this particular point. “If any man sin not in word, he is a perfect man, and able to bridle all the body.” His meaning is that some be absolute without sin in word, and perfect, without infirmity in goodness; but that many be gracious without sinfulness, though they have their slips in speeches; and sincere, without wickedness, though they have their frailties in behaviour.
2. Both are infallible and essential fruits of regeneration, and the Apostle doth thereby persuade us thereby to declare ourselves to be of the number of the saints, and faithful, saying, “Cast off lying, and let him that stole steal no more” (Ephesians 4:24; Ephesians 4:28).
3. Both are required of them that would know and manifest themselves to be natural members of the Church in this world, and inheritors of salvation in the life to come. (See Psalms 15:1-2.)—Dod.