Proverbs 6:16-19

Seven Things Which YHWH Hates (Proverbs 6:16).

We now have listed seven thing which YHWH hates. The ‘six things -- yes seven' was a technique saying ‘more than six' (double completeness) and emphasising the seven (divine completeness), thus stressing the divine completeness of the list. Compare the ‘three things -- yes four' found three times in Proverbs 30:15 (four times if we include ‘for three things -- and for four'). Again the thought is of being over and above completeness'. Compare in Amos his use of ‘for three transgressions -- and for four' (occurring eight times in Amos 1-2) emphasising that there were more than the three transgressions, a number which would have indicated completeness, and itself would have deserved judgment. But they had exceeded even that. They had gone beyond the bounds. They had sinned excessively

This part is also constructed chiastically:

A There are six things which YHWH hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to him (Proverbs 6:16).

B Haughty eyes, a lying tongue (Proverbs 6:17 a).

C And hands which shed innocent blood (Proverbs 6:17 b).

D A heart which devises wicked purposes (Proverbs 6:18 a).

C Feet which are swift in running to mischief (Proverbs 6:18 b).

B A false witness who utters lies (Proverbs 6:19 a).

A And he who sows discord among brothers (Proverbs 6:19 b).

Note that in A the seventh thing is especially distinguished, and in the parallel we have the seventh thing, and it may be that ‘haughty eyes' are also to be paralleled ‘sowing discord/rebellion'. In B we have a lying tongue and in the parallel is a false witness who utters lies. In C we have hands shedding blood, and in the parallel feet running to mischief. Central to all is the heart devising wicked purposes.

It will also be noted how many of these abominations have previously been applied to the worthless man. A perverse mouth (Proverbs 6:12) and sowing discord (Proverbs 6:14) parallel a lying tongue, a false witness, one who sows discord (Proverbs 6:17; Proverbs 6:19). Perverseness in his heart, devising evil continually (Proverbs 6:14) parallel a heart which devises wicked purposes (Proverbs 6:18).

It is not, however, intended to be taken as a summary of all abominations, for there is, for example, no mention of adultery, or of hypocritical sacrifices, or of dishonesty in business. It is rather bringing out that YHWH hates the attributes of the worthless man. Elsewhere the following are specifically said to be abominations to YHWH: the perverse man (Proverbs 3:32; Proverbs 11:20); a false balance (Proverbs 11:1); lying lips (Proverbs 12:22); hypocritical sacrifices (Proverbs 15:8; Proverbs 21:27); the way of the wicked (Proverbs 15:9); the thoughts of the wicked (Proverbs 15:26); the proud in heart (Proverbs 16:5); those who justify the wicked or condemn the righteous (Proverbs 17:15); weights and measures which are inconsistent (Proverbs 20:10; Proverbs 20:23).

No punishment is mentioned with regard to these abominations. God's judgment on them is assumed. But it has in a sense already been mentioned in Proverbs 6:15. Thus the list is not complete in itself but looks back to what has been said about the worthless man.

Proverbs 6:16

‘There are six things which YHWH hates,

Yes, seven which are an abomination to him,

Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,

And hands which shed innocent blood,

A heart which devises wicked purposes,

Feet which are swift in running to mischief,

A false witness who utters lies,

And he who sows discord among brothers.'

The language is strong. These are things which YHWH hates and abominates. They will thus certainly one day come into judgment. Notice that they cover thought (Proverbs 6:18 a), actions (Proverbs 6:17 c, Proverbs 6:18 b, Proverbs 6:19 b), words (Proverbs 6:17 b, Proverbs 6:19 a) and attitude (Proverbs 6:17 a).

The first three in the list are taken together (the third is introduced by ‘and'). This may simply be because of the importance put on ‘threeness'. The three cover eyes, lips and hands. The first reveals attitude, ‘haughty eyes'. The next two reveal actions, a lying tongue and murderous hands. This idea of ‘threeness' continues for it is intrinsic in the number six which is specifically introduced. But, as is reflected in the introductory words (‘six things -- yes seven'), in the final analysis one is added to the six (and to the second three) in order to bring the number up to seven This disturbing of the pattern is in order to achieve ‘seven', the number of divine completeness.

‘Haughty eyes (‘rising eyes').' Compare the winking eyes in Proverbs 6:13, and the proud in heart who are an abomination to YHWH in Proverbs 16:5. The word ‘haughty' indicates arrogance and pride, someone who thinks himself above the norm and able to do anything that he likes, as is in fact revealed by what follows. He sees himself as ‘special', and even as being able to challenge God (compare Isaiah 10:12). That is why YHWH has determined a day when ‘the lofty looks of man will be brought low' and when all that is proud and haughty and lifted up will be brought low (Isaiah 2:11). That is why David, in a desire to please YHWH, declared that ‘him who has a proud look and a high heart I will not put up with' (Psalms 101:5). In Psalms 131:1 it is the one whose heart is haughty and whose eyes are ‘risen' who exercises himself in things which are above him. But YHWH will bring down ‘risen looks' (Psalms 18:27). For in the end such a man is simply a human being. He turns into dust like everyone else. He struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. In contrast ‘the meek will inherit the earth' (Psalms 37:11) and YHWH dwells with the lowly and contrite (Isaiah 57:15).

‘A lying tongue.' The word for ‘lying' indicates lying with the intention of causing harm. The same word is used in Proverbs 6:19 of ‘false' witness. It is regularly used of ‘false' testimony in court, but is not limited to that for it also refers to lies told in order to damage someone's position or reputation. Such lying brings a man into judgment for the one who tells lies will not stand in God's sight (Psalms 101:7), and the mouth of those who speak lies will be stopped (Psalms 63:11). This is because lying lips are an abomination to YHWH (Proverbs 12:22). To lie is to be loathsome (Proverbs 13:5). A lying tongue hates those who are afflicted by it, that is, it shows total disregard for them and treats them with contempt (Proverbs 26:28). The word is regularly applied to false prophets.

‘Hands which shed innocent blood.' This parallels ‘you shall do no murder' (Exodus 20:13). It did not apply to killing enemy soldiers, although it did apply to unnecessary killing of women and children. Nor did it apply to the one who sought ‘blood vengeance'. In those days when there was no police force, that was the way in which justice was accomplished on murderers. The wider family were seen as responsible for bringing about the execution of the guilty party (in other words in our terms it does not apply to judicial executions where the case is proved). The emphasis is on innocent blood. Compare Proverbs 1:11 for an example of shedding innocent blood. The cities of refuge were set up to preserve the lives of men who slew another accidentally, lest their innocent blood be shed by avengers of blood (Deuteronomy 19:10). But they would not preserve someone who had deliberately killed. The slaying of another in peace time, except in self-defence or blood vengeance, or after fair trial, was to take innocent blood. Murder has always been abhorrent to God. From the time of the Flood onwards the principle was that ‘He who sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed', for to kill a man without good cause is to violate God (Genesis 9:6).

We now come to the second group. Again the first in the list refers to attitude, this time attitude of heart. ‘A heart which devises wicked purposes.' This is then followed by three actions which we will consider shortly. The heart was seen as the centre of the mind, will, emotions and knowledge of God. But a heart which devises wicked (unrighteous) purposes is revealing that it has no knowledge of God. And as we saw previously it is the worthless man whose heart is perverted and who devises evil continually (Proverbs 6:14). Now that is repeated as being something that God abominates. From within his inner being this kind of man is always planning unrighteous purposes (the word translated wicked is regularly seen as the opposite of righteous). He is evil at heart. We have already seen two of his unrighteous purposes, a lying tongue and a murderous hand. These are now added to by feet which are swift in running to evil mischief, a false witness who utters lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. He has an attitude problem.

‘Feet which are swift in running to (evil) mischief.' He is always on the look out for some wrong that he can do, some harm that he can cause. And when he finds it he is so eager that he ‘runs' to fulfil it. He is someone who is without scruples, and he cannot wait to do someone harm. We can compare this with Proverbs 1:16 which speaks of those whose feet run to evil. There are many today who think it funny to cause harm to people. They need to recognise that they are abominated by God.

‘A false (lying) witness who utters lies.' In the chiasmus this parallels ‘the lying tongue'. But here the double stress on lying brings out the awfulness of the crime. He is a lying witness who lies. The crime is all the greater because it occurs within the sphere of justice. Today we would call it perjury. And there, in the very place where truth was of vital importance, the worthless man was a lying witness who lied in the sight of God and men. And he did it, not in order to defend himself, but in order to cause harm to others. In Deuteronomy 19:15 such a false witness was to be punished by having the same harm caused to him, as he had caused by his false witness, so that others might ‘hear and fear'.

‘He who sows discord among brothers.' The final abomination is the one who sows discord among brothers. ‘Brothers' could mean full brothers, relatives, or simply fellow-countrymen. In the modern day it could mean fellow-Christians. The aim of the worthless man is to bring disunity where there is harmony, in order to further his own interests. He delights to arouse antagonism and hatred. This can range from causing rebellion in the kingdom, to stimulating feuds between tribes, to arousing general animosity, to breaking up family relationships. And it is done for self-satisfaction or self-gain. The worthless man ‘sows discord' (Proverbs 6:14). He is in direct contrast to the ‘peace-maker' who seeks to bring harmony, thereby demonstrating that he is one of the Lord's blessed ones (Matthew 5:9).