Proverbs 26:28 Commentary and Bible Study

In all cases the successful lie relies on a falsehood being received as the truth, but from the perspective of the victim lies take two forms: undisguised, out-in-the-open lies, which he knows are false, and lies that pretend to be something other than what they are, smooth lies that appear to speak peace; both types are considered in this verse. The obvious lie is designed to do harm and, from the perspective of the victim, does not bother to hide from view. Though other are deceived, the victim of the lie is quite clear that he is under attack. There are many reasons why people lie: to protect their reputation, to gain something that does not belong to them, to defend or hide some other sin, or to do harm to another. The proverb speaks especially of this last reason for lying. How then do lies hurt those afflicted by them? Well obviously, they deprive them of the truth by surrounding them with falsehood. It may be the victim that is lied to in order to make him stumble in his way, or it may be others that are fed with lies to change their perception of the victim. Every lie that is believed distorts the world around the victim in the minds of others. It may be a false charge brought against us, a trap to unjustly bring down the weight of the law upon us. It may be something said to unfairly arouse suspicion against us, to make others question our integrity. In the darkness of this world the lie can go far and do much damage, and the liar relies on that darkness to do his work. He may be subtle in the way he goes about his work and initially make insinuations and suggestions rather than outright accusations. He is a destroyer of friendships and can turn long-standing friends against each other by sowing mistrust between them. He presents a one-sided story and leaves out facts that would enable a more balanced assessment. But the flatterer is more crafty still. He wishes his lie to enter in disguised as truth. His false praise needs to be received without suspicion in order to get past the doorway of trust, and then it will have access to the mind of the victim to do the real damage intended. Let the victim believe he is being sincerely praised; the end result will be all the worse for him