The Bible’s First Take on Hate Speech (Proverbs 26:28)
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Proverbs 26:28
A lying tongue hates its victims,
and a flattering mouth works ruin.
There’s been a lot of talk — especially in recent years — about hate speech. Hate speech has become one of those terms where few people agree on what it even means. Everyone’s got their own definition, their own line of what counts and what doesn’t.
But here’s the surprise: Proverbs is actually talking about hate speech long before it was ever a cultural buzzword. We may think of hate speech as shouting slurs or cruel insults, but Proverbs goes deeper — it says even lying can be hateful. “A lying tongue hates its victims.”
Now let's stop and think about that. Why is lying hateful? Well, when you lie, you’re not neutral. You’re not protecting someone. You’re using them. Even if you think you’re doing the right thing. And that, Proverbs says, is hate.
If lying is hateful, then the opposite is true: speaking the truth is love.
In fact, telling the truth is one of the most loving things you can do for someone. Because truth is what allows them to live in reality. It gives them solid ground to stand on. Lies take advantage of people; truth honors them. Now, of course, you can share truth in a way that’s cruel or careless — “I’m just being honest!” can sometimes be a weapon. But when truth is spoken with love, it’s life-giving. It’s saying: “I care about you enough to be real with you, even if it costs me something.”
It means a lot when someone is honest with me. Especially on hard stuff. It takes guts and real care for someone to step up and say something that they know risks friendship.
But I'd much rather that than someone who would just hug my every opinion. And that flows right into the flattering mouth. Flattery feels like kindness, but it’s really manipulation dressed up pretty. You exaggerate, you say what someone wants to hear, but it’s not for their good — it’s for yours. And Proverbs says the end of that isn’t closeness, it’s ruin.
I don’t think I could emphasize enough how vital the mouth is. Words create or destroy trust — and trust is the foundation of every relationship. That’s why what we say reveals so much about who we are.
And like we’ve discussed time and again, if our words reveal our hearts, then most of us are in trouble. Because if we’re honest, we’ve all lied, we’ve all flattered, we’ve all used words to protect ourselves or to get ahead. Which means our mouths reveal hearts that are fearful, self-protective, self-promoting.
Hatred, not love, is our heart’s default setting. And our words are worthy of ruin.
The good news is Jesus is called “the Word made flesh.” And unlike us, His words were never manipulative. He never used people. His words gave life — healing the broken, comforting the weary, calling out hypocrisy. And on the cross, He took on Himself the ruin that our words have caused, so that His words to us could be words of grace: “You’re forgiven. You’re mine.”
So let me ask you:
Where in your life do you find yourself tempted to bend the truth — maybe to look better, avoid conflict, or gain approval?
Who might need you to love them enough to tell them the truth, even if it’s hard?
And where do you need to rest in Jesus’ words of grace, instead of chasing flattery or fearing lies?
Let’s pray.
