Introduction
Before getting into the meaning of Proverbs 13:5, here’s different Bible translations:
King James Version
A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame.
American Standard Version
A righteous man hateth lying; But a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame.
World English Bible version
A righteous man hates lies, but a wicked man brings shame and disgrace.
Proverbs 13:5 Meaning & Commentary
The righteous hates falsehood, but the wicked brings shame and disgrace. Proverbs 13:5 (ESV)
The Hebrew word here for falsehood is “Sheqer” which also means lie, deception, fraud, or deceit. So, essentially The Bible is saying here that the righteous person hates lies, deception, deceit, or even any appearance of that which is not true and accurate. Falsehood is the opposite of integrity. We see the power or the “benefits” of integrity spoken of elsewhere in The Bible:
Proverbs 11:3 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.
Interestingly, when we contrast this verse – Proverbs 11:3 with Proverbs 13:5, we can see that integrity acts as a “guide.” A guide is something or someone who helps us stay on the right path or get to the right destination. If you are walking on a path and it is dark, you need a light to “guide” you or help you stay on the path. Integrity, which is truth, honesty, and doing the right thing even when no one is watching, acts as a “guide” to us, keeping us on the right path.
Now, the wicked person – essentially someone with no integrity – brings shame and disgrace. How many times have we seen people – even famous people or politicians bring shame and disgrace to themselves, their families, a nation, or anything or anyone else? What happened? They cast away their integrity and began to embrace “falsehood” in their lives; eventually, shame and disgrace were the results. So long as integrity remains intact, wickedness, shame, and disgrace cannot enter.
Nobody purposely decides to bring shame and disgrace into their lives. It is a by-product of neglecting integrity and embracing falsehood in our lives. As we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, we ought to walk as those who please God and represent Him well to others around us. We should have a “hatred” for falsehood and want nothing to do with it!
Application
How can we apply Proverbs 13:5 to our lives?
As God’s children, there is an appropriate or “right way” to live our lives:
Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
The Bible says that we have put away falsehood, therefore, we need to speak the truth. The reality is that when we give our hearts to God, we become a new creation in Christ. However, we have a responsibility to actively walk out our Christian walk – so we died with Christ in baptism and are raised in Christ to walk in newness of life. We cannot say we have a relationship with God yet lie, cheat, and steal daily. The flesh and its evil desires should have no hold over our lives, as we are debtors to serve God, not the flesh:
Romans 8:12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
We are responsible for protecting ourselves against all forms of falsehood, lying, and deceit. What is important to know, though, is that lying and “falsehood” usually start small and grow. We will very seldom begin right away with big lies or big moral failures – instead, it will start small and grow from there. Also, the results, or the “fruit” of our sins – be that falsehood or anything else does not always show up right away. Sometimes the fruit of our actions shows up down the line only:
1 Timothy 5:24 The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later.
Just because we may think we are “getting away with something” does not mean we are. In fact, nothing positive ever comes from casting our integrity away. The time to be truthful, transparent, and open is right now! When we choose to do this, we consciously decide to turn away from falsehood and ensure that we will not taste shame and disgrace.
Prayer
Mighty God, I thank You for Your word, which constantly challenges me to be more Christ-like. Please forgive me where I may have told lies and embraced any falsehood in my life.
I choose today to walk with integrity in everything that I do and say. I humble myself today and put you first in every area of my life. I pray this now in Jesus’ name. Amen!
