Commentary - Proverbs 17:4

Bird's-eye view

This proverb operates on the simple principle of supply and demand, but in the moral economy of a fallen world. Wickedness has an appetite, and lies are its native cuisine. The verse is a tightly constructed piece of Hebrew parallelism, showing us two sides of the same corrupt coin. On one side, you have the consumer of malice, the evildoer. On the other, you have the supplier, the liar with his destructive tongue. But the central point is that they are made for each other. A liar needs a receptive audience, and an evildoer is naturally drawn to the kind of talk that justifies his own sin and maligns the righteousness he hates. This is more than just a warning against bad company; it is a diagnosis of the human heart. What a man loves to listen to is a clear indicator of what he is. The proverb reveals that the flow of information in the kingdom of darkness is a closed loop. Evil hearts produce evil words, which are then eagerly consumed by other evil hearts, reinforcing the entire corrupt system.

At its root, this is about the ecology of sin. Slander, gossip, and falsehood do not thrive in a vacuum. They require a market. The evildoer provides that market. He doesn't just tolerate wicked talk; he "gives heed" to it, leaning in to catch every syllable. The liar, in turn, doesn't just speak into the wind; he "gives ear" to a destructive tongue, meaning he is both a speaker and a hearer in the same wicked conversational club. The two are locked in a symbiotic relationship. This proverb forces us to examine not only what we say, but what we are willing to hear. The kind of talk you entertain is the kind of man you are.

Outline

Context In Proverbs

Proverbs 17 is situated in the larger collection of "the proverbs of Solomon" (Prov 10:1-22:16). This section of the book is filled with couplets that contrast the righteous and the wicked, the wise and the foolish. Chapter 17 contains numerous observations about the power of words and the condition of the heart. For example, a fool's lips enter into contention (Prov 18:6), a talebearer's words are like tasty trifles (Prov 18:8), and a soft answer turns away wrath (Prov 15:1). Proverbs 17:4 fits squarely within this thematic focus. It follows a verse about the refining work of God on the heart (Prov 17:3) and precedes a warning about the destructive power of a bribe (Prov 17:8). The immediate context highlights the internal nature of righteousness and wickedness. Just as the Lord tests the heart, so the words a man listens to reveal the state of that same heart. This proverb is another diagnostic tool, teaching the reader that the path of wisdom requires discipline over the ears as much as the tongue.

Key Issues

Like Attracts Like

There is a magnetic pull in the spiritual realm. The apostle Paul tells us that those who do not receive a love for the truth will be sent a strong delusion, that they should believe a lie (2 Thess 2:10-11). This proverb is the street-level application of that high theological principle. An evildoer is a man who has already set his heart against the truth. His life is oriented toward wickedness. Consequently, when he encounters "lips of wickedness," he doesn't recoil in horror. He leans in. It sounds like home to him. The slanderer, the gossip, the backbiter, the purveyor of malicious rumors, these are his preferred broadcasters.

Why? Because wicked talk justifies his own evil. It tears down the righteous, whom he resents. It normalizes sin, making his own transgressions seem less egregious. It creates a world of suspicion and cynicism where his own corrupt motives can hide in plain sight. He listens to lies because he is living one. The liar, for his part, is not just a speaker of falsehoods but also a hearer. He "gives ear to a destructive tongue." He listens to the gossip of others to gather ammunition for his own slander. He is part of a network, a dark communion of saints, where the currency is malice. This is the principle of like attracting like. A pure heart is drawn to pure words. A corrupt heart provides a ready audience for a corrupt tongue. If you want to know what a man is, don't just listen to what he says. Watch what he listens to.

Verse by Verse Commentary

4a An evildoer gives heed to lips of wickedness;

The first clause identifies the audience. Who is it that pays close attention to slander, gossip, and malicious talk? The evildoer. The Hebrew word for "gives heed" means to be attentive, to listen closely. This is not passive hearing. This is active, engaged listening. The evildoer is not an innocent bystander who just happens to overhear some nasty talk. He is a customer. He is seeking it out. The "lips of wickedness" are the source of the supply. This refers to any kind of speech that is rooted in iniquity, slander that destroys a reputation, flattery that manipulates, lies that deceive, or profane talk that dishonors God. The evildoer's heart is already tilled soil, ready to receive these wicked seeds. He finds them agreeable because they resonate with the malice and rebellion already resident within him. This is a profound spiritual diagnostic: your auditory appetite reveals your moral character.

4b A liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.

The second clause presents the parallel truth, focusing on the speaker who is also a hearer. A liar is not an isolated agent. He is part of an ecosystem of deceit. He "gives ear," which is synonymous with "gives heed" in the first clause. He is an attentive listener to a "destructive tongue." The word for destructive here can also be translated as mischievous or ruinous. It is a tongue that causes ruin and calamity. So the liar is himself a consumer of destructive talk. Why? Because it feeds his craft. He listens to rumors so he can spread them with his own embellishments. He listens to the slander of others to validate his own slanderous heart. He is both a retailer and a wholesaler of lies. He listens to the destructive talk of others, internalizes it, and then broadcasts it through his own lips of wickedness. The two clauses of the verse lock together perfectly. The evildoer creates the demand, and the liar, who is himself an evildoer, provides the supply, creating a vicious, self-perpetuating cycle of sin.

Application

This proverb should land on us with the force of a conviction. We live in an age that is absolutely saturated with "lips of wickedness" and "destructive tongues." They are on the twenty-four-hour news cycle, they are all over social media, and they are in the breakroom at work. The temptation to "give heed" is immense. This verse forces us to conduct a searching audit of our own hearts by examining our listening habits. What kind of podcast do you lean into? What sort of news articles do you click on? What kind of conversations do you allow to continue in your presence without objection?

If you find yourself drawn to talk that tears down, that speculates maliciously about the motives of others, that delights in scandal, then this proverb says you are an evildoer. If you find yourself listening for juicy tidbits that you can later pass on, you are a liar with a destructive tongue. The application is therefore twofold. First, we must repent of our sinful auditory appetites. We must ask God to give us a heart that hates slander and loves the truth. We must cultivate a distaste for gossip that is as strong as our distaste for spoiled food.

Second, we must discipline our ears. This means we must sometimes walk away from conversations. It means we must turn off the television or the podcast. It means we must refuse to listen to a report against another person unless it is brought biblically. As Christians, our ears are not our own. They have been bought with the precious blood of Christ, and they are to be instruments of righteousness, not receptacles for filth. The gospel cleanses our hearts from evil, and a cleansed heart will produce a cleansed tongue and, just as importantly, a cleansed ear. We are called to be a people whose speech is seasoned with grace, and that requires us to be a people who refuse to provide a market for any other kind of talk.