Proverbs 17:4 (DRB)

Passage

The evil man obeyeth an unjust tongue: and the deceitful hearkeneth to lying lips.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 17:2 A wise servant shall rule over foolish sons, and shall divide the inheritance among the brethren.

Proverbs 17:3 As silver is tried by fire, and gold in the furnace: so the Lord trieth the hearts.

Proverbs 17:4 The evil man obeyeth an unjust tongue: and the deceitful hearkeneth to lying lips.

Proverbs 17:5 He that despiseth the poor, reproacheth his maker: and he that rejoiceth at another man's ruin, shall not be unpunished.

Proverbs 17:6 Children's children are the crown of old men: and the glory of children are their fathers.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "evil", "obeyeth", "unjust", "tongue", "deceitful", "hearkeneth", "lying", and "lips". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "evil" and "obeyeth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "As silver is tried by fire and..." into verse 5's "He that despiseth the poor reproacheth his...", so "evil" and "obeyeth" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "evil" and "obeyeth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.