Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Proverbs 6:16

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Proverbs 6:16. These six - doth the Lord hate —

1. A proud look - exalted eyes; those who will not condescend to look on the rest of mankind.

2. A lying tongue - he who neither loves nor tells truth.

3. Hands that shed innocent blood, whether by murder or by battery.

4. A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations - the heart that fabricates such, lays the foundation, builds upon it, and completes the superstructure of iniquity.

5. Feet that be swift in running to mischief - he who works iniquity with greediness.

6. A false witness that speaketh lies - one who, even on his oath before a court of justice, tells any thing but the truth.

Seven are an abomination unto him — נפשו naphsho, "to his soul." The seventh is, he that soweth discord among brethren - he who troubles the peace of a family, of a village, of the state; all who, by lies and misrepresentations, strive to make men's minds evil-affected towards their brethren.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Rashness, laziness and troublemaking (6:1-19)

A person can easily get into serious difficulties by agreeing to be a financial guarantor for a friend (or a stranger), as the friend may get so far into debt that the guarantor is ruined. If the guarantor realizes that he made a rash promise, he should act quickly. He should not rest till he has gone back to his friend, told him of his true position, and withdrawn his guarantee. Only in this way will he save himself from possible disaster (6:1-5).
Though believers should not be anxious about the future, neither should they be thoughtless or lazy. They should learn a lesson from the ant. It works diligently to provide for its future security (6-8). People have only themselves to blame if they are too lazy to get up and work and as a result fall into poverty (9-11).
Another kind of person heading for disaster is the troublemaker. People of this kind are skilled at making subtle suggestions by their movements and words, and soon create conflict (12-15). All forms of deceit and plotting are as hateful to God as the more obvious sins of haughtiness and violence. Eyes, tongue, mind, hands and feet can all lead a person into sin (16-19).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

WARNING AGAINST DECEITFUL MEN;
THINGS GOD HATES (THE ELEVENTH DISCOURSE)

“A worthless person, a man of iniquity, Is he that walketh with a perverse mouth; That winketh with his eyes, that speaketh with his feet, That maketh signs with his fingers; In whose heart is perverseness, Who deviseth evil continually, Who soweth discord. Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; On a sudden shall he be broken, and that without remedy. There are six things which Jehovah hateth; Yea, seven which are an abomination unto him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood; A heart that deviseth wicked purposes, Feet that are swift in running to mischief, A false witness that uttereth lies, And he that soweth discord among brethren.”

“A worthless person, a man of iniquity” Beginning here and through Proverbs 6:15 we have a description of a wicked and deceitful man; but it is not revealed just what was meant by the various winks, signs, gestures and other bodily movements by which he made evil signals, communicated with confederates, or in other ways hoodwinked, deceived and conspired against his victims. The picture of this evil person that emerges here is that of an underhanded deceiver who concealed his true intentions by these `signs’ and `signals.’ “There is a similar description of a corrupt person, with a prediction of his coming to a bad end in Proverbs 26:23-26.”The Anchor Bible (Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company, 1982), op. cit., p. 59.

THE SEVEN THINGS THAT THE LORD HATES

Here again we encounter a popular memory verse. Both Harris and Delitzsch consider these seven sins as climactic, the seventh, “sowing discord among brethren” being considered as the most serious of the seven.Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, op. cit., p. 563. It appears to this writer, as Driver expressed it that, “All these things belong together,”International Critical Commentary, op. cit., p. 127. giving a number of characteristics of the same person, a person revealed here as totally evil. Note that his eyes have a proud look; his tongue tells lies; his hands murder the innocent; his heart is full of wicked purposes; his feet run quickly on evil errands - all of these are parts of one man! The last two abominable things are the composite product of all this, namely, that person who by lying speeches sows discord among brethren. In that sense, of course, we may view these as presenting a climax in the seventh. However, “It is the heart that underlies the seven vices which are an abomination to God; and it occupies the central position here,”Preacher’s Homiletic Commentary, Vol. 1, p. 85. because it is the fountain from which all evil flows.

Another significant thing here is the fact that, “This passage reflects an acquaintance with the Old Testament,”Arthur S. Peake, A Commentary on the Bible (London: T. C. and E. C. Jack, Ltd., 1924), p. 400. especially the Pentateuch. The Law of Moses gave specific prohibitions against all of the things mentioned here.

It has been noted that there is an amazing resemblance in the thought of these verses as compared with the Beatitudes of Matthew 5, particularly in the first and last of the two lists. “`The Lord hates a proud look,’ is practically the equivalent of, `Blessed are the poor in spirit’; and, `He that soweth discord among brethren,’ is the exact converse of, `Blessed are the peacemakers.’“Preacher’s Homiletic Commentary, op. cit., p. 86.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

A new section, but not a new subject. The closing words, “he that soweth discord” (Proverbs 6:19, compare Proverbs 6:14), lead us to identify the sketch as taken from the same character. With the recognized Hebrew form of climax (see Proverbs 30:15, Proverbs 30:18, Proverbs 30:24; Amos 1:1-15; Amos 2:0; Job 5:19), the teacher here enumerates six qualities as detestable, and the seventh as worse than all (seven represents completeness), but all the seven in this instance belong to one man, the man of Belial Proverbs 6:12.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Now let us turn to Proverbs, chapter 6. The first part of the Proverbs is exhortation to my son. It's just good fatherly advice to sons. And chapter 6 continues in these exhortations that are opened by the phrase:

My son, if you be surety for thy friend, or if you have stricken hands with a stranger, you've become snared with the words of your mouth, you've been taken with the words of your mouth. Now do this, and deliver yourself, my son, when you've come to the hand of your friend; go, and humble yourself, and make sure thy friend. Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. Deliver yourself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, or as a bird from the hand of the fowler ( Proverbs 6:1-5 ).

Someone said the best way to lose a friend is to loan him money. And unfortunately, many friendships have been lost over this very thing. If you have guaranteed for a friend, if you've been a surety for him. You say, "Well, that's all right, just put it on my account, or I'll guarantee it," my son, you're in trouble. Go to your friend quickly. You've snared yourself with your mouth. Deliver yourself from him if at all possible. Humble yourself and get out of the situation. Or worse yet, if you've made an agreement with a stranger. That is, you say, "Okay, we'll do it," and you shake hands with the stranger. You've stricken hands. And of course, it is interesting over there to watch them in their negotiations even to the present day.

One of our favorite little side trips when we are in Israel is to go down to the sheep gate on Friday morning and watch as the Bedouins and all bring in their sheep to market. And the buyers and the sellers gather together and it is a sight that you just will never forget as you stand there and watch these Mercedes cabs come up, filled with these men with their caffias and all, they open up the door and out pours these men and the sheep and everything else. They open up the trunk and out come the sheep, you know. And the pickup trucks and all, and they herd all of these sheep into this area near the corner of the wall across from the Rockefeller Museum every Friday morning. And then these guys will begin to haggle and bargain over the sheep.

Now when they bargain, they yell at each other. I mean, they just stand there. They shake their fists. You expect them to pull a knife out from under their robe at any time and go at it 'cause they're just yelling like they're really angry. And it's quite a scene with all of the yelling and shouting, and the guy will turn and walk away, and turn around and yell at the guy. And then walk a bit and turn and yell some more, you know. And after they've gone through this for a while, pretty soon you see them slap their hands. You know, they'll... and the guy will reach in, get his wallet, pull out his money, and take the sheep and go off. And it's really quite a quite a scene. The striking of the hands is an indication, "All right, that's a deal, you made a deal."

Now, my son, if you strike hands with a stranger, you're in trouble. Be careful about that. Deliver yourself as quickly as possible as a deer from the hand of the hunter or as a bird from the snare of the fowler.

So the first little exhortation is against guaranteeing for somebody else. The second little exhortation is against slovenness.

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when are you going to awake? Yet a little sleep, and a little slumber, and a little folding of your hands to sleep: and so shall thy poverty come as one that traveleth, and thy want as an armed man ( Proverbs 6:6-11 ).

So a little exhortation against laziness. Go to the ant. Now, we are told that Solomon was a very prolific writer. That he wrote 3,000 proverbs, several songs, and he wrote books on biology and botany. And so he was a man who was very familiar with nature. And we will pick this up as we get to some other proverbs as he talks about the characteristics of other animals and insects.

But here he is saying, "Now go to the ant, learn of her ways and be wise." And watching ants is a very interesting experience. They are perhaps one of the most industrious of all little insects. The worker ants and how they go out and how they gather. How you see them. And I love to watch ants. I sometimes used to sit out in the backyard with bread and I'd just break off pieces of bread and throw it down and watch them as the little ant would get hold of it and try and pull it and pull it, and pretty soon another would get on and they'd hold the thing and just to watch them in their labor as they are laying up their food. So industrious. "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; learn of her ways, and be wise. Which having no guide, or overseer, or ruler." And you wonder how they communicate. Yet, they evidently do communicate because you get a couple of them in your house and they discover something sweet, man, they communicate it to all their cousins and relatives and everybody else. And soon the whole tribe is in there.

I've often thought about miniaturization, you know. Everything is, the whole concept is that of miniaturizing everything. Have you ever wondered how big an ant's brain must be? Talk about something that's miniature. And yet, there is no doubt the capacity to communicate and surely the capacity of working together. And I think that this is the lesson to learn. Without a foreman out there yelling instructions and everything else, somehow they get this bread, chunk of bread together and pretty soon, they're carting the thing off. You can see this chunk of bread just moving across the ground. It may take them a little while, a little struggling and all. But ultimately, they get things coordinated without a guide, an overseer, or a ruler. Yet, learning to just work together. "Providing her meat in the summer, gathering her food in the harvest."

So be careful of laziness for a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of your hands to sleep and comes poverty. It's inevitable.

Now the next one that he talks about is the person who is:

A naughty person, a wicked man, who walks with a perverse mouth ( Proverbs 6:12 ).

The loud mouth braggart.

Who winks with his eyes, speaks with his feet, and teaches with his fingers; Perversity is in his heart, he devises mischief continually; he sows discord. Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy ( Proverbs 6:13-15 ).

That's perverse person, the wicked man who has a perverse mouth, winketh with his eyes. Of all the crazy things, this evening when I knew I was going to be talking on this verse, before service I got an eye twitch underneath my left eye, and it's twitching. I looked in the mirror and crazy twitching. I thought, "Man, I hope nobody thinks I'm winking at them tonight when I have to teach on this verse." So I popped a bunch of vitamin B pills. I figured maybe I've got a shortage of B-stress or something and didn't have any yeast to put down, but hopefully get this twitching eye stopped. But it's not winking; don't put me in the category of this man. The thing that interests me is as God always says concerning the wicked, "Their calamity is coming." And in this case, it's coming suddenly and that without remedy. How tragic when God says of a man there's no cure. He's beyond, no hope, no remedy.

Now in the next little section we have:

Six things the LORD hates; in fact, there are seven that are an abomination unto him ( Proverbs 6:16 ):

Now I should seek to hate the things that God hates. And I should surely seek to avoid the things that God hates. So it is important that we look at these seven things, and it is more important that we not be guilty of any of these seven things.

First of all, God hates:

A proud look ( Proverbs 6:17 ),

The Bible says, "Pride cometh before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall" ( Proverbs 16:18 ). That proud look. How many times we are told in the scriptures to humble ourselves and we shall be exalted. The second thing God hates is:

a lying tongue, then hands that shed innocent blood, [next] a heart that devises wicked imaginations, [next] feet that are swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaks lies ( Proverbs 6:17-19 ),

One who bears false witness against someone else with a lie. And finally,

he who sows discord among brethren ( Proverbs 6:19 ).

God hates the dividing and the divisions that oftentimes come within the body of the church. Paul said, "Mark those which cause division among you. Avoid them" ( Romans 16:17 ). God hates those who sow discord among brethren. "How beautiful and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity" ( Psalms 133:1 ). How that is honoring to God. And how God hates anyone who is guilty of just sowing discord among the brethren.

In the next section here, and all of these fall in little groups actually. It is dealing with listening to your parents' counsel and advice.

My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not the law of your mother: Bind them continually upon your heart, and tie them about your neck. When you go, it shall lead you; when you sleep, it will keep you; when you awake, it will talk with you. For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is a light; and the reproof of instruction are the way to life ( Proverbs 6:20-23 ):

Important: the advice, the counsel of the parents. That is, that of course, assumes the godly parents. Their counsel is like a lamp. It is like a light to show you the way.

Now the next one, he picks on the evil woman again. The warning against women who are evil.

To keep thee from the evil woman, and from the flattery of the tongue of strange women. Lust not after her beauty in your heart; neither let her take you with her eyelids ( Proverbs 6:24-25 ).

They may be false.

For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a crust of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon a hot bed of coals, and his feet not be burned? So is he that goes in to his neighbor's wife; whosoever touches her shall not be innocent. Now men do not despise a thief, if he steals to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; But if he is found, he shall restore sevenfold; and he shall give all the substance of his house. But whoso commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding: and he does it to the destruction of his own soul. A wound and dishonor shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though you give him many gifts ( Proverbs 6:26-35 ).

So keep yourself from the flattery of the strange woman. Do not lust after her beauty in your heart. In the New Testament, Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, as He is talking concerning the law as it was being taught to them in that day and the law as it was intended when given by God was showing by many examples that when God gave the law, God was interested in the attitude of a man's heart more than the actions of a man's life. Because it is possible to have the right actions with the wrong attitude. And it is also possible to have the wrong actions with the right attitude. But God is looking at the heart.

Now the law said, and the Pharisees were teaching them that the law said, "Thou shalt not commit adultery" ( Exodus 20:14 ). And yes, the law did declare, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." But Jesus said, "I say unto you, if any man looks upon a woman and lusts after her in his heart, he's already committed adultery" ( Matthew 5:28 ). In other words, it's the inner attitude of a man that is so important. That is why last week he said, "Keep your heart with all diligence, because out of the heart come the issues of life" ( Proverbs 4:23 ). So James tells us, "Let no man say when he is tempted that God tempted me the other day. For God doesn't tempt man to do evil. But a man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed. And lust when it is finished brings sin" ( James 1:13-15 ). If you follow it through it will lead you right into sin. It begins in the heart. "Oh wow, you know. Look at that." Lookout! Don't. Cut it off at that point. As Paul said to Timothy, "Flee youthful lusts" ( 2 Timothy 2:22 ). For it will drown a man's soul in hell. Run if you must. Do as Joseph. Get out of there as quickly as possible if you feel that you know it's getting too hard to handle. Man, just turn and run as fast as you can go. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

10. Other dangerous temptations 6:1-19

Solomon singled out a few more serious errors to avoid in addition to marital unfaithfulness. These include assuming liability for the debts of others (Proverbs 6:1-5), being lazy (Proverbs 6:6-11), being untruthful (Proverbs 6:12-15), and seven other practices that need no clarification (Proverbs 6:16-19).

The advice in this section provides a good example of what prudence is. A prudent person is one who is capable of exercising sound judgment in practical matters. He or she is cautious and discreet in conduct, is circumspect, and is sensible. We often describe a prudent person by saying that he or she has common sense. A prudent person can foresee the consequences of possible actions and behaves accordingly. A godly (wise) person can be prudent because God’s revelation helps us see the usual consequences of our actions before we commit them. This is largely what the Book of Proverbs helps us do.

"Surety" (Proverbs 6:1) means "security" in the sense of taking on another person’s obligations as one’s own, as when a person co-signs a note to pay another person’s loan, for example. Paul offered to pay Onesimus’ past debts, but not his future ones (Philemon 1:18-19). "Neighbor" and "stranger" (Proverbs 6:1) together mean anyone; these two kinds of people are not the only ones in view. This is a figure of speech called a merism in which two extremes represent the whole. Solomon strongly counseled avoidance of this obligation. If one finds himself in it already he should do everything he can to get himself out of it before he discovers that he is in even worse trouble (Proverbs 6:3). The writer did not command his son never to become surety for his neighbor; he told him what to do if he had already done this so he could escape the consequences that typically follow such an act. The reader is not disobeying God if he or she becomes surety for a stranger, but this proverb warns of the possible consequences and gives advice about how to avoid them.

Proverbs 6:6-11 warn against laziness. [Note: See Kidner’s subject study on the sluggard, pp. 42-43.] A "vagabond" (Proverbs 6:11) is a "highwayman," namely, a robber. [Note: Toy, p. 125.]

"In that society there were no technological controls or government social programs to serve as a safety net against poverty." [Note: R. Whybray, Wealth and Poverty in the Book of Proverbs, p. 31.]

The person in view in Proverbs 6:12-15 is one who, for the amusement it gives him or her, causes other people to experience inconvenience or suffering. A simple joke is different from joking at someone else’s expense, joking that hurts someone else. The latter practice is what Solomon urged his son to avoid. He called such a mischievous prankster "worthless" and "wicked" (Proverbs 6:12). "Worthless" is literally "of Beliel," a word that became a name for Satan (2 Corinthians 6:15).

The list in Proverbs 6:16-19 repeats some of what Solomon mentioned earlier. It may have been one whole proverb he added because it carried on the idea of other temptations to avoid. The phrase "six . . . yes, seven" (Proverbs 6:16) implies that this list is not exhaustive of what God hates, though it is explicit. [Note: Toy, p. 127.] These seven practices deal with attitude (Proverbs 6:17 a), thought (Proverbs 6:18 a), speech (Proverbs 6:17 b, Proverbs 6:19 a), action (Proverbs 6:17 c, Proverbs 6:18 b), and influence (Proverbs 6:19 b).

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

These six [things] doth the Lord hate,.... That is, the six following, which are all to be found in a man of Belial, a wicked man before described. There are other things besides these that God hates, and indeed more so; as sins against the first table, which more immediately strike at his being, horror, and glory; these being such as are against the second table, but are mentioned, as more especially appearing in the character of the above person; and must be hateful to God, as contrary to his nature, will, and law;

yea, seven [are] an abomination unto him; or, "the abomination of his soul" c; what his soul abhors, or he abhors from his very heart: meaning not seven others, but one more along with the six, which make seven; a like way of speaking, see in Proverbs 30:15. Nor is the word "abomination" to be restrained to the "seventh", or "hatred" to the "sixth"; but they are all to be supposed to be hateful and abominable to the Lord; though some think the cardinal number is put for the ordinal, "seven" for the "seventh"; as if the seventh, which is sowing discord among brethren, was of all the most abominable, Proverbs 6:19; it being what was last mentioned in the character of the wicked man, Proverbs 6:14; and which seems to have given occasion to, and for the sake of which this enumeration is made.

c תועבות נפשו "abominatio ejus animae", Montanus, Vatablus, Mercerus, Cocceius, Michaelis, Schultens.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      12 A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.   13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;   14 Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.   15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.   16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:   17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,   18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,   19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

      Solomon here gives us,

      I. The characters of one that is mischievous to man and dangerous to be dealt with. If the slothful are to be condemned, that do nothing, much more those that do ill, and contrive to do all the ill they can. It is a naughty person that is here spoken of, Heb. A man of Belial; I think it should have been so translated, because it is a term often used in scripture, and this is the explication of it. Observe,

      1. How a man of Belial is here described. He is a wicked man, that makes a trade of doing evil, especially with his tongue, for he walks and works his designs with a froward mouth (Psalms 6:12; Psalms 6:12), by lying and perverseness, and a direct opposition to God and man. He says and does every thing, (1.) Very artfully and with design. He has the subtlety of the serpent, and carries on his projects with a great deal of craft and management (Psalms 6:13; Psalms 6:13), with his eyes, with his feet, with his fingers. He expresses his malice when he dares not speak out (so some), or, rather, thus he carries on his plot; those about him, whom he makes use of as the tools of his wickedness, understand the ill meaning of a wink of his eye, a stamp of his feet, the least motion of his fingers. He gives orders for evil-doing, and yet would not be thought to do so, but has ways of concealing what he does, so that he may not be suspected. He is a close man, and upon the reserve; those only shall be let into the secret that would do any thing he would have them to do. He is a cunning man, and upon the trick; he has a language by himself, which an honest man is not acquainted with, nor desires to be. (2.) Very spitefully and with ill design. It is not so much ambition or covetousness that is in his heart, as downright frowardness, malice, and ill nature. He aims not so much to enrich and advance himself as to do an ill turn to those about him. He is continually devising one mischief or other, purely for mischief-sake--a man of Belial indeed, of the devil, resembling him not only in subtlety, but in malice.

      2. What his doom is (Psalms 6:15; Psalms 6:15): His calamity shall come and he shall be broken; he that devised mischief shall fall into mischief. His ruin shall come, (1.) Without warning. It shall come suddenly: Suddenly shall he be broken, to punish him for all the wicked arts he had to surprise people into his snares. (2.) Without relief. He shall be irreparably broken, and never able to piece again: He shall be broken without remedy. What relief can he expect that has disobliged all mankind? He shall come to his end and none shall help him,Daniel 11:45.

      II. A catalogue of those things which are in a special manner odious to God, all which are generally to be found in those men of Belial whom he had described in the foregoing verses; and the last of them (which, being the seventh, seems especially to be intended, because he says they are six, yea, seven) is part of his character, that he sows discord. God hates sin; he hates every sin; he can never be reconciled to it; he hates nothing but sin. But there are some sins which he does in a special manner hate; and all those here mentioned are such as are injurious to our neighbour. It is an evidence of the good-will God bears to mankind that those sins are in a special manner provoking to him which are prejudicial to the comfort of human life and society. Therefore the men of Belial must expect their ruin to come suddenly, and without remedy, because their practices are such as the Lord hates and are an abomination to him,Psalms 6:16; Psalms 6:16. Those things which God hates it is no thanks to us to hate in others, but we must hate them in ourselves. 1. Haughtiness, conceitedness of ourselves, and contempt of others--a proud look. There are seven things that God hates, and pride is the first, because it is at the bottom of much sin and gives rise to it. God sees the pride in the heart and hates it there; but, when it prevails to that degree that the show of men's countenance witnesses against them that they overvalue themselves and undervalue all about them, this is in a special manner hateful to him, for then pride is proud of itself and sets shame at defiance. 2. Falsehood, and fraud, and dissimulation. Next to a proud look nothing is more an abomination to God than a lying tongue; nothing more sacred than truth, nor more necessary to conversation than speaking truth. God and all good men hate and abhor lying. 3. Cruelty and blood-thirstiness. The devil was, from the beginning, a liar and a murderer (John 8:44), and therefore, as a lying tongue, so hands that shed innocent blood are hateful to God, because they have in them the devil's image and do him service. 4. Subtlety in the contrivance of sin, wisdom to do evil, a heart that designs and a head that devises wicked imaginations, that is acquainted with the depths of Satan and knows how to carry on a covetous, envious, revengeful plot, most effectually. The more there is of craft and management in sin the more it is an abomination to God. 5. Vigour and diligence in the prosecution of sin--feet that are swift in running to mischief, as if they were afraid of losing time or were impatient of delay in a thing they are so greedy of. The policy and vigilance, the eagerness and industry, of sinners, in their sinful pursuits, may shame us who go about that which is good so awkwardly and so coldly. 6. False-witness bearing, which is one of the greatest mischiefs that the wicked imagination can devise, and against which there is least fence. There cannot be a greater affront to God (to whom in an oath appeal is made) nor a greater injury to our neighbour (all whose interests in this world, even the dearest, lie open to an attack of this kind) than knowingly to give in a false testimony. There are seven things which God hates, and lying involves two of them; he hates it, and doubly hates it. 7. Making mischief between relations and neighbours, and using all wicked means possible, not only to alienate their affections one from another, but to irritate their passions one against another. The God of love and peace hates him that sows discord among brethren, for he delights in concord. Those that by tale-bearing and slandering, by carrying ill-natured stories, aggravating every thing that is said and done, and suggesting jealousies and evil surmises, blow the coals of contention, are but preparing for themselves a fire of the same nature.