Proverbs 29:5 Commentary and Bible Study

Like many traps and snares, flattery puts on a disguise so that we will not recognise it and only those who are on their guard will escape it. The situation is made worse in this case because fallen men and women love praise so much that they are blind to false praise. The distinctive feature of flattery is that it is insincere praise dressed up as if it were sincere. If it were sincere, then we might be more justified in believing it, but flattery tells us something good about ourselves which we ought to know is not true. It is a payment intended to buy something else in return. As far as the buyer is concerned it is a bargain, for it cost him very little to flatter with his tongue, and in exchange he puts others in his debt, and he extracts that debt in various ways of his choosing. He may want power over the other person, or he may be buying their support in an unjust cause, or he may be buying their false witness in what he is about to do. He will certainly want more substantial payment in return. Once the flattery has been received and taken advantage of, the bargain is struck, the transaction is done. Why is flattery like a net under his feet? Because he cannot easily set himself free from it. To do so he would have to make a breach with the flatterer from whom he hopes to receive more praise in the future. He would have to admit that he is not worthy of the praise that he has already received. He has played the fool because his pride made him susceptible and blinded him, and now to escape he is going to have to admit it. He must be ready to give back the false praise and expose with shame that he once believed himself worthy of it. All such false views of self are very shameful when they are exposed.