What does Proverbs 6:17 mean?
This begins listing some of the sins which God was said to "hate" in prior verses (Proverbs 6:16).First is the attitude of a person who is arrogant, egotistical, or proud. This attitude causes someone to look down their nose at others. In Psalm 101:5 the Lord says, "Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure." A prime example of someone with haughty eyes is the proud Pharisee who entered the temple to pray. When he saw a humble tax collector nearby, he boasted to God: "God, I thank you that I am not like other men…or even like this tax collector" (Luke 18:11). He referred to his self-righteous deeds, but God rejected him. In His Sermon on the Mount, the first of Jesus' beatitudes refers to those who are "the poor in spirit" (Matthew 5:3).
Second is God also hates "a lying tongue" (Proverbs 6:17). Earlier verses described those who deceive others as "wicked" and "worthless" (Proverbs 6:12). Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit, saying they had offered the total sales revenue of their property; God struck them dead (Acts 5:1–10).
Third is violence against the innocent. This was mentioned earlier in the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 1:16) in connection with evil. Violence, revenge, and anger are all bad enough in and of themselves (Romans 12:19). Especially heinous is to use violence against those who are "innocent," in the sense that they've done nothing to deserve that treatment from other people.
Proverbs 6:12–19 focuses on those who create unnecessary strife. These people are described as "worthless," "crooked," and associated with a list of actions and attitudes which God hates. Just as those who are lazy are at risk of sudden financial ruin (Proverbs 6:6–11), those who are corrupt are subject to sudden judgment. This passage uses a pattern common to books like Proverbs, giving a number for a list and then adding one more (Job 5:19; Proverbs 30:21). This is mostly a poetic flair, but sometimes highlights the last item as especially important. In this case, the last point is about those who create division, which is the common theme of the previous six ideas. In contrast, Matthew 5:1–12 describes God's blessings on those who are righteous.
This chapter provides teaching on two aspects of wealth management. The first is avoiding putting one's property in debt for the sake of some other person's risky investment. The other warns against laziness, indicating that it puts a person at risk for sudden ruin. Solomon then poetically explains attitudes and actions which God finds especially repulsive. Next, Solomon returns to the subject of adultery. He reiterates the inherent risks of sexual immorality, including the catastrophic consequences which it brings. That lesson continues into the following chapter.
