The Lord hates evil schemes but delights in pure and wholesome speech.
Proverbs 15:26 moves back inside the heart: Evil plans are an abomination to the LORD, but pleasant words are pure (v. 26). God cares about both the intentions conceived within and the speech that emerges without.
Evil plans are abominable because wickedness begins in the realm of design and intention. Before sin appears outwardly, it is often nursed inwardly. Solomon teaches that God judges not only what is done but what is plotted.
By contrast, pleasant words are pure. Pleasant here does not mean shallow flattery. It means speech that is wholesome, fitting, and clean. Pure words flow from a rightly ordered heart and contribute to peace rather than corruption.
Set to dark mode
Proverbs 15:26 meaning
Proverbs 15:26 moves back inside the heart: Evil plans are an abomination to the LORD, but pleasant words are pure (v. 26). God cares about both the intentions conceived within and the speech that emerges without.
Evil plans are abominable because wickedness begins in the realm of design and intention. Before sin appears outwardly, it is often nursed inwardly. Solomon teaches that God judges not only what is done but what is plotted.
By contrast, pleasant words are pure. Pleasant here does not mean shallow flattery. It means speech that is wholesome, fitting, and clean. Pure words flow from a rightly ordered heart and contribute to peace rather than corruption.