Proverbs concerning Foolish words, False Witness and Flattering 516 - 4 - 7

It is nearly an impossible task to separate these words from each other as many overlap. Lying, slandering, gossip, false witness and deceiving are much related. Often gossip is outright lies or half-truths. Constant talking, boasting and foolish words go hand-in-hand. Mocking and harsh talking are certainly related. Quarreling can lead to slandering, gossip and more. Flattering can be very manipulating.

Foolish words:

While not from the book of Proverbs, the following are by the same author.

Ecclesiastes 10:12-14 (AMP), “The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious and win him favor, but the lips of a fool consume him. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is wicked madness. A fool also multiplies words, though no man can tell what will be—and what will happen after he is gone, who can tell him?”

Ecclesiastes 5:2, “Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.”

Proverbs 17:28, “Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding” is good advice for one who tends towards the use of foolish words.

False Witness:

Lots of Proverbs dealing with false witness and lies including:

Proverbs 6:19, “A false witness who breathes out lies, and he who sows discord among his brethren.”

Proverbs 14:5, “A faithful witness will not lie, but a false witness breathes out falsehoods.”

Proverbs 19:9, “A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he who breathes forth lies shall perish.”

Proverbs 21:28, “A false witness will perish, but the word of a man who hears attentively will endure and go unchallenged.”

Proverbs 25:18, “A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a heavy sledgehammer and a sword and a sharp arrow.”

Flattering:

While flattering may not be an outright untruth it is often a way to manipulate someone such as the fool in the following verses.

 Proverbs 7:20-22 (AMP), “He has taken a bag of money with him and will come home at the day appointed [at the full moon]. With much justifying and enticing argument she persuades him, with the allurements of her lips she leads him [to overcome his conscience and his fears] and forces him along. Suddenly he [yields and] follows her reluctantly like an ox moving to the slaughter, like one in fetters going to the correction [to be given] to a fool or [a]like a dog enticed by food to the muzzle”