Both hidden hatred and slander are forms of foolishness.
In Proverbs 10:18, Solomon says, He who conceals hatred has lying lips, and he who spreads slander is a fool (v. 18). This verse addresses two opposite but related sins of speech: hidden hatred and public defamation. Both come from a heart that is out of alignment with love and truth.
A person who conceals hatred with lying lips is pretending peace while secretly nursing bitterness. This is not wisdom or restraint; it is falsehood. Speech becomes dishonest when it covers malice instead of dealing truthfully and righteously with the heart.
The one who spreads slander moves in the opposite direction by releasing hatred through harmful speech. Solomon calls him a fool because he uses words to damage rather than to heal. Whether hatred is hidden or broadcast, the root is the same. Wisdom calls for truth spoken with integrity, not bitterness hidden behind politeness or released through accusation.
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Proverbs 10:18 meaning
In Proverbs 10:18, Solomon says, He who conceals hatred has lying lips, and he who spreads slander is a fool (v. 18). This verse addresses two opposite but related sins of speech: hidden hatred and public defamation. Both come from a heart that is out of alignment with love and truth.
A person who conceals hatred with lying lips is pretending peace while secretly nursing bitterness. This is not wisdom or restraint; it is falsehood. Speech becomes dishonest when it covers malice instead of dealing truthfully and righteously with the heart.
The one who spreads slander moves in the opposite direction by releasing hatred through harmful speech. Solomon calls him a fool because he uses words to damage rather than to heal. Whether hatred is hidden or broadcast, the root is the same. Wisdom calls for truth spoken with integrity, not bitterness hidden behind politeness or released through accusation.