Fine False Speech

For Tuesday, May 9, 2006
Proverbs 17:7

Fine speech is not becoming to a fool;
still less is false speech to a prince.

Fine speech from the mouth of a fool comes out as mockery and sarcasm. That which should be deemed honorable is made to seem silly. The speaker is embarrassing. Having said all that, even worse is for a person of high and noble position to lie. Thus, as bad as it is for a president to be lampooned, it is worse for a president to lie with his noble words. As bad as it may be for those under authority to mock their superiors, the greater sin is committed by those superiors if they abuse their positions through lying. The fools demonstrate their own foolishness; the "princes" betray the character that should be inherent in them. The fools withhold honor they ought to give; the princes betray the honor given to them.