Bird's-eye view
This proverb sets before us one of the great antithetical statements of Scripture, contrasting what God detests with what He loves. The structure is a simple parallelism, but the moral chasm it describes is absolute. On one side, we have the "lying lips," and on the other, the "doers of faithfulness." God's reaction to the first is visceral; He considers it an "abomination." His reaction to the second is one of paternal joy; they are "His delight." The central issue here is the nature of reality itself. God is the author of reality, and therefore all speech and action must correspond to the world as He has made it and defined it. Lying is an assault on the created order, an attempt to create a pocket universe of unreality where the liar is god. Faithfulness, by contrast, is the joyful submission to God's created order, living and speaking in accord with the truth. This proverb, then, is not simply a moralistic injunction to "not tell fibs." It is a foundational statement about what it means to be a creature who either rebels against his Creator or finds his joy in pleasing Him.
The gospel is the ultimate backdrop for this contrast. Satan is the father of lies, and we are all born with lying lips, children of wrath. Our natural state is to be an abomination. But God, in His mercy, sent His Son, who is the Truth incarnate. Through the cross, our abominable lies are judged and forgiven, and through the resurrection, we are made new creatures, capable of becoming "doers of faithfulness." God's delight in us is therefore not a delight in our native truthfulness, but a delight in the work of His Son in us, producing the fruit of the Spirit, which is faithfulness.
Outline
- 1. The Divine Antithesis (Prov 12:22)
- a. God's Hatred: The Abomination of the Lie (Prov 12:22a)
- b. God's Love: The Delight in the Faithful (Prov 12:22b)
Context In Proverbs
The book of Proverbs is intensely practical, but its practicality is rooted in deep theology. This verse sits within a collection of couplets that contrast the righteous and the wicked, the wise and the foolish. Throughout this section, Solomon contrasts things like rash words and healing tongues (12:18), deceit and counsel of peace (12:20), and trouble and deliverance (12:21). Proverbs 12:22 fits perfectly within this pattern, providing the ultimate divine perspective on the contrast between deceit and truth. The issue is not merely social harmony, though that is a fruit of truthfulness. The ultimate issue is God's own character. He is a God of truth, and therefore His world is designed to run on the tracks of truth. Lying is like pouring sand in the gears of creation. It introduces chaos, discord, and ultimately, death. This verse elevates the discussion from mere pragmatism ("honesty is the best policy") to the realm of worship. Your speech either honors God or it is an abomination to Him.
Key Issues
- The Meaning of Abomination
- The Nature of a Lie
- The Definition of Faithfulness
- The Basis of God's Delight
- Speech as a Reflection of the Heart
The Architecture of Reality
At the heart of this proverb is a fundamental truth about the world God has made. God spoke, and the universe came into being. His Word is the foundation of all reality. Because of this, truth is not a social convention or a useful tool; it is conformity to the way things actually are as defined by the Creator. A lie, therefore, is not just a misstatement of fact. It is an act of rebellion against the fabric of reality. It is an attempt to create an alternative reality with the self as the god of that small, pathetic world. When a man lies, he is trying to play God.
This is why the Bible takes lying so seriously. The ninth commandment forbids bearing false witness, which is a foundational sin against our neighbor because it destroys the trust necessary for community. But this proverb shows us that the sin goes deeper. Before it is a sin against my neighbor, it is a sin against God. It is an offense to His very nature. He is the God who cannot lie (Titus 1:2). When we lie, we are acting like the children of our natural father, the devil, who is a liar from the beginning (John 8:44). The choice between truth and falsehood is therefore a choice between two paternities, two kingdoms, and two destinies.
Verse by Verse Commentary
22 Lying lips are an abomination to Yahweh,
The first clause is stark and severe. The subject is lying lips. This is a classic Hebrew metonymy, where the part (lips) stands for the whole (the speech, and by extension, the person speaking). It is not that God has a particular distaste for the muscle and tissue of the lips themselves, but rather for what they produce when animated by a deceitful heart. The predicate is that they are an abomination to Yahweh. The word "abomination" (toebah in Hebrew) is one of the strongest words in the Old Testament for revulsion. It is used to describe idolatry, sexual perversion, and unclean foods. It signifies something that is utterly detestable, foul, and ritually polluting in the sight of a holy God. To put lying in this category is to tell us that deceit is not a minor character flaw. It is a form of spiritual pollution. It is an assault on the holiness of God, who is the very standard of truth. When we lie, we are bringing something unclean and profane into the presence of the Holy One of Israel.
But doers of faithfulness are His delight.
The contrast is absolute. The conjunction "but" sets up the opposing reality. Instead of "lying lips," we have doers of faithfulness. Notice the shift from a body part to the whole person in action. This is not just about "truthful lips," but about a life characterized by fidelity. The Hebrew word for faithfulness is emunah, from which we get our word "Amen." It means firmness, steadfastness, reliability. A doer of faithfulness is someone who is solid. His word is his bond. His actions align with his commitments. He is a covenant-keeper. This is a person whose entire life, not just his speech, corresponds to reality. He deals truly with God and with man. And God's response to such a person? He is God's delight. The word implies pleasure, favor, and acceptance. While the liar provokes divine revulsion, the faithful man brings a smile to the face of God. God takes joy in the man who reflects His own faithful character.
Application
The application of this proverb must begin with a frank self-assessment in the light of the gospel. By nature, we are all born with lying lips. Our hearts are deceitful above all things (Jer. 17:9). We shade the truth to protect our pride, we flatter to gain advantage, we exaggerate to make ourselves look important, and we make promises we have no intention of keeping. If we are honest, we must confess that our native state is to be an abomination to the Lord. This should drive us to our knees in repentance.
Our only hope is found in the one Man who was a perfect "doer of faithfulness." Jesus Christ is the truth (John 14:6). No lie was ever found on His lips. He was the perfect covenant-keeper, faithful even unto death. On the cross, He took the abomination of our lies upon Himself and bore the wrath they deserved. He was treated as the ultimate liar so that we might be counted as doers of faithfulness. When we repent of our lies and trust in Him, His perfect record of faithfulness is credited to our account. God's delight in us is therefore not based on our own shaky attempts at honesty, but on our being clothed in the perfect, faithful righteousness of His Son.
From that position of grace, we are then called to grow into what we already are in Christ. We are to put away falsehood and speak the truth with our neighbor (Eph. 4:25). This is not just about avoiding overt lies. It is about becoming people of substance, people who are reliable, trustworthy, and faithful. It means our "yes" is "yes" and our "no" is "no." It means we fulfill our vows, keep our promises, and represent reality accurately. We do this not to earn God's delight, but because He has already made us His delight in Jesus, and we now joyfully seek to live in a way that is pleasing to our Father.