Noble speech does not fit a fool, and lying is even more unfitting for those in authority.
Proverbs 17:7 points out what is fitting and what is not: Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool, much less are lying lips to a prince (v. 7). Some things are out of place because they contradict the character of the speaker.
Excellent speech sounds wrong in the mouth of a fool because folly lacks the inward substance to sustain what is noble. A fool may mimic elevated words for a moment, but the mismatch eventually becomes obvious. Wisdom must live in the heart, not merely on the lips.
If that mismatch is serious, it is much less fitting for a prince to speak lies. Those in authority should be marked by truthfulness because their speech affects justice and order. Lying lips in leadership are especially destructive, since they distort the trust on which good rule depends.
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Proverbs 17:7 meaning
Proverbs 17:7 points out what is fitting and what is not: Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool, much less are lying lips to a prince (v. 7). Some things are out of place because they contradict the character of the speaker.
Excellent speech sounds wrong in the mouth of a fool because folly lacks the inward substance to sustain what is noble. A fool may mimic elevated words for a moment, but the mismatch eventually becomes obvious. Wisdom must live in the heart, not merely on the lips.
If that mismatch is serious, it is much less fitting for a prince to speak lies. Those in authority should be marked by truthfulness because their speech affects justice and order. Lying lips in leadership are especially destructive, since they distort the trust on which good rule depends.