Commentary - Proverbs 12:20

Bird's-eye view

This proverb, like so many others, is a study in stark contrasts. It sets two kinds of hearts, two kinds of activities, and two kinds of results side by side. On the one hand, you have the heart that is a workshop for evil, a place where deceit is the native language and the constant occupation. The end product of this internal industry is more of the same, a perpetuation of the lie. On the other hand, you have those who are counselors of peace. Their work is not internal scheming but external counsel, aimed at reconciliation and shalom. And their reward, the fruit of their labor, is gladness. The proverb is a spiritual diagnostic tool. It tells us that what you are on the inside, in the secret counsels of your heart, will inevitably determine what you produce in the world and what the ultimate emotional state of your life will be. Deceit breeds more deceit; peace-making breeds joy.

At the center of this is the heart. The Bible is not interested in a merely behavioral righteousness. It always drives to the source, to the fountain from which all our actions flow. Jesus taught that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. This proverb teaches that out of the condition of the heart, a man either becomes a plotter of wickedness or a purveyor of peace. The world is divided into these two camps: those who introduce strife by their lies, and those who bring joy by their wise and peaceful counsel. There is no third way.

Outline

Context In Proverbs

Proverbs 12 is part of a larger section contrasting the righteous and the wicked, the wise and the foolish. A recurring theme throughout this chapter is the power and effect of our words, and by extension, the heart from which they come. Verse 17 says, "He who speaks truth tells what is right, But a false witness, deceit." Verse 18 contrasts the reckless words that pierce like a sword with the tongue of the wise that brings healing. Verse 19 establishes that the lip of truth will be established forever, while a lying tongue is but for a moment. Verse 22 states plainly, "Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal faithfully are His delight." Our current verse, verse 20, fits squarely within this context. It is not just about the external act of lying versus truth-telling, but about the internal orientation of the person. It reveals the engine room of the liar, a heart that devises evil, and contrasts it with the engine room of the peacemaker, which results in gladness.

Key Issues

The Internal Workshop

The Bible consistently teaches that sin is not primarily an issue of environment, upbringing, or external pressures. The issue is the heart. Jeremiah tells us the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick. Jesus tells us that out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, and all the rest. This proverb identifies the heart as the place where evil is not just present, but actively manufactured. The phrase "devise evil" paints a picture of a craftsman at his bench, a plotter at his desk, an engineer at his drafting table. Evil is not an accident; it is a project. It is planned, designed, and schemed.

And what is the very atmosphere of this workshop? Deceit. The evil-deviser cannot operate in the open. His work requires shadows, misdirection, and falsehood. Deceit is not just one of the tools he uses; it is the very air he breathes. This is because he is a son of his father, the devil, who is a liar from the beginning. When a man's heart is given over to devising evil, he is living in a state of perpetual dishonesty, not only with others, but fundamentally with himself and with God. He has to lie to himself about the nature of his work, the justice of his cause, and the certainty of his coming judgment.

Verse by Verse Commentary

20a Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,

The proverb begins by stating a spiritual axiom. It is telling us what is invariably found inside a particular kind of person. The target individuals are those who "devise evil." The Hebrew word for devise, charash, means to plow, to engrave, to fabricate. It speaks of intentional, creative, and diligent work. These are not people who stumble into sin; they cultivate it. They plow the fields of their imagination in order to reap a harvest of mischief. And what does Solomon tell us is the essential, defining characteristic of their heart? Deceit. The lie is not something they resort to in a pinch; it is their very constitution. It is "in the heart." This means their entire operating system is corrupt. Their motives are deceitful, their plans are deceitful, and their ultimate aims are deceitful. They are walking, breathing falsehoods. They may present a respectable exterior, but the internal reality is a factory of lies.

20b But counselors of peace have gladness.

Here is the glorious antithesis. The contrast is not simply between those who devise evil and those who do good. The contrast is more specific. Opposed to the secret plotters of evil are the public "counselors of peace." Their work is not done in the dark corners of their own hearts, but in the open, between people. They are mediators, reconcilers, and advisors who aim to create shalom, that rich Hebrew word that means not just the absence of conflict, but wholeness, flourishing, and right-relatedness. While the deviser of evil works to introduce strife and chaos through his lies, the counselor of peace works to bring order and harmony through wise and truthful words.

And what is the result of this work? What is their paycheck? Gladness. Joy. This is a profound spiritual principle. The man who lives in a knotted tangle of his own deceit is miserable. He is full of suspicion, anxiety, and the constant fear of being found out. But the man whose business is to build bridges, to heal wounds, and to speak truth in love finds that his work produces a harvest of joy in his own soul. There is a deep, abiding gladness that comes from being an agent of God's restorative work in the world. This is the gladness that Jesus, the ultimate Counselor of Peace, had when He endured the cross for the joy set before Him, the joy of reconciling a world of sinners to a holy God.

Application

This proverb forces us to look in the mirror and ask some hard questions. What is going on in the workshop of my heart? When I am alone with my thoughts, am I a deviser of evil or a counselor of peace? Do I rehearse grievances, plot subtle revenges, and craft narratives in which I am the hero and others are the villains? If so, I am a deviser of evil, and my heart is full of deceit, no matter how polished my outward behavior might be. The fruit of that internal life will be bitterness and strife, not gladness.

The alternative is to become a counselor of peace. This begins with the gospel. We cannot counsel others into a peace we do not possess. We must first be reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus Christ. He is our peace. Once we have peace with God, we are then equipped and commanded to be peacemakers. This means we actively look for opportunities to mend fences, to speak words of healing, to give wise and godly counsel, and to absorb wrongs rather than retaliate. It means we value reconciliation more than we value being right. And the promise of this proverb is that this path, while often difficult, is the only path to true and lasting gladness. The joy of the Lord is not found in the clever execution of a selfish scheme, but in the humble work of building His kingdom of peace.

Therefore, we must bring our hearts to Christ daily, asking Him to cleanse the workshop. We must ask the Holy Spirit to root out all deceit and to fill us with a love for the truth. We must pray for the wisdom and courage to be counselors of peace in our homes, our church, and our community. For in doing so, we not only bless others, but we also find the gladness that God reserves for those who walk in His ways.