Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 17:4

by David Chadwick

“An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.”

Proverbs 17:4

Evildoers listen to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue. I don’t think any healthy individual would desire to be called an evildoer or a liar.

Who has wicked lips? I actually think many could fall into this category. Those who seek to slander and essentially kill someone with their words. Those who spread rumors and lies with evil intent. Those who seek to intimidate and bully others. Those who manipulate you for selfish gain. Those who seduce people into sinful behavior. The list could go on and on.

Don’t get near wicked lips! According to God’s Word, evildoers are those who listen to these kinds of wicked and twisted lips.

In the same way, you must be careful not to give an ear to mischievous tongues! What are some examples of this? Those who spread folly and seek to disturb peace. Those who aim to be sneaky and devious. Those who enjoy crude joking, filthy language, and foolish talk (Ephesians 5:3-5).

An evildoer and a liar both take two people to accomplish a mission. The one doing the evil slandering and lying and the one listening to the slander and lies. If no one listens, the person slandering gets shut down. This is such an important truth to remember. You can squash evil like this dead in its tracks by simply refusing to listen!

I will always remember a friend who, when hearing gossip or slander, would quietly say, “I’m not going to be a part of this” and simply walk away. It spoke volumes to the person slandering and quieted his tongue. That is the essence of what this proverb is trying to say. And it’s what my friend modeled.

The Bible is explicitly clear in this proverb that in order to not be an evildoer or a liar, we must be vigilant in what we take in through our ears.