Commentary - Proverbs 21:6

Bird's-eye view

This proverb is a compact statement on the nature of wealth obtained through dishonest means. It is a sharp, two-part diagnosis of all get-rich-quick schemes that rely on deceit. First, Solomon tells us what such wealth is: it is nothing, a puff of smoke, a vanishing vapor. It has no substance, no permanence, and no value in the things that matter. Second, he tells us what the pursuit of such wealth means: it is the pursuit of death itself. The man who builds his financial house on a foundation of lies is not actually a seeker of life, liberty, and happiness. He is, whether he knows it or not, a death-seeker. The proverb sets up a stark contrast between the tangible appearance of "treasures" and their ultimate insubstantiality and lethality. It is a foundational lesson in biblical economics, reminding us that the "how" of our work is just as important to God as the "what."

In the grand scheme of Proverbs, this verse fits squarely within the book's central project of distinguishing the path of wisdom from the path of folly. The wise man builds his house on the rock of God's revealed law, which includes the ninth commandment. The fool thinks he can outsmart God's created order by building on the shifting sands of deceit. This proverb shows us that the fool's path, which he imagines is a shortcut to prosperity, is in fact a direct route to the grave. It is not simply that the money will not last; it is that the man himself is being undone by his methods.

Outline

Context In Proverbs

Proverbs 21 is a chapter full of sharp contrasts between the righteous and the wicked, wisdom and folly, diligence and laziness. This verse follows directly on the heels of verse 5, which says, "The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty." Verse 6 provides a specific and particularly toxic example of that hastiness. The "lying tongue" is the tool of the man in a hurry, the one who cannot be bothered with the slow, diligent, honest work that leads to true and lasting abundance. The chapter goes on to discuss the Lord's hatred of sacrifice offered with a wicked motive (v. 27) and the ultimate failure of the false witness (v. 28). Our verse, then, is part of a broader tapestry that paints a picture of a world governed by a just God, in which shortcuts to blessing are always, in the end, a long road to ruin.

Key Issues

The Economics of the Ninth Commandment

We often compartmentalize the Ten Commandments. We think of the ninth commandment, "You shall not bear false witness," as having to do with courtrooms, or perhaps gossip among neighbors. But the book of Proverbs insists that all of life is of a piece. Our words, our work, our wealth, and our worship are all interconnected because they all take place before the face of the same God. This proverb is a direct application of the ninth commandment to the world of business and finance.

The "lying tongue" is not just a personal moral failing; it is an economic tool. It is the instrument used to close the fraudulent deal, to sell the shoddy product, to swindle the naive investor. But God has built the world in such a way that this tool always backfires. The structure of reality is ethical. Truthfulness, over the long haul, is productive. Lying, over the long haul, is destructive. The man who lies to get rich is like a farmer who thinks he can get a harvest by planting thistle seeds. He is fighting against the very laws of the created order, and the universe will always win that fight.

Verse by Verse Commentary

6 Working for treasures by a lying tongue...

The verse begins by identifying a particular kind of labor. This is not the diligent labor praised elsewhere in Proverbs (Prov. 10:4). This is work, effort, and striving, but its central tool is deceit. The "lying tongue" is the means of production. This could be the slick patter of the con man, the fine print in a predatory contract, the inflated resume, or the deceptive advertising campaign. The goal is "treasures", not just making a living, but accumulating wealth, getting rich. The man described here is not stealing bread because he is starving; he is building a fortune on a foundation of falsehood. He believes his words are a shortcut to the good life, a clever way to bypass the hard work and patience required of others.

...Is a fleeting breath...

And here is God's verdict on the matter. The treasures obtained this way are a fleeting breath. The Hebrew word is often translated as vapor or mist. Think of your breath on a cold morning. It appears solid for a moment, you can see it, but when you try to grasp it, it is gone. It is an illusion of substance. This is what all dishonestly acquired wealth is like. It may glitter in the bank account for a season, it may buy a fine house and fancy chariot, but it has no weight, no permanence. It cannot buy peace of mind. It cannot purchase a good name. And as James reminds us, our very lives are a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes (James 4:14). How much more fleeting, then, is the wealth we accumulate during that short time by dishonest means? It is a vapor within a vapor, a vanity of vanities.

...by those who pursue death.

This final clause is the punch in the gut. It re-frames the entire activity. The man thought he was pursuing treasures. He got up every morning, put on his game face, and went out to chase his fortune. But God pulls back the curtain and shows us what he was really chasing. He was pursuing death. The Hebrew can be rendered as "seekers of death." This is not an accidental outcome; it is the object of their search. Of course, they do not think of it this way. No one says, "I think I will devote my life to the pursuit of my own demise." This is the profound deception of sin. The liar thinks he is securing his life, but he is actually embracing death. He is in love with the very thing that will destroy him. As Proverbs says elsewhere, "All who hate me love death" (Prov. 8:36). By choosing a lying tongue, a man rejects the God who is Truth, and in so doing, he chooses the wages of sin, which is always and everywhere death (Rom. 6:23).

Application

The application of this proverb must be sharp and personal, because the temptation it describes is universal. We live in a world that constantly tells us that the ends justify the means, that what matters is the bottom line. We are tempted daily to use a "lying tongue" in small ways and large. It might be the slight exaggeration on a report to make ourselves look better, the convenient omission of a crucial fact when selling a car, or the flattering lie told to a superior to gain an advantage. We justify it by thinking of the "treasures" we seek: a promotion, a sale, the preservation of our reputation.

This proverb calls us to radical, uncompromising honesty in all our dealings. It forces us to ask what we are really pursuing. Are we building something solid, something of lasting value, through diligent and truthful labor? Or are we chasing a mist, a vapor that will vanish when the sun of God's judgment rises? The man who builds his business, his career, or his reputation on a series of small lies is not building anything at all. He is digging his own grave.

The only escape from this suicidal pursuit is found in the one whose tongue was never anything but truthful. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). He is the ultimate treasure, the pearl of great price. When we, by faith, abandon our own death-seeking pursuits and embrace Him, we are given a true and lasting inheritance. He frees us from the frantic need to lie and scheme for our security, because our security is in Him. The Christian is therefore called to be the most honest of businessmen, the most truthful of employees, the most reliable of neighbors. Not because honesty is the best policy, but because truth is a person, and we are His people.