Proverbs 17:4 (LSB)

Passage

An evildoer gives heed to lips of wickedness; A liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 17:2 A slave who acts insightfully will rule over a son who acts shamefully, And will share in the inheritance among brothers.

Proverbs 17:3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But Yahweh tests hearts.

Proverbs 17:4 An evildoer gives heed to lips of wickedness; A liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.

Proverbs 17:5 He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; He who is glad at disaster will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 17:6 Grandchildren are the crown of old men, And the beauty of sons is their fathers.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "evildoer", "gives", "heed", "lips", "wickedness", "liar", and "destructive". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "evildoer" and "gives", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "The refining pot is for silver and..." into verse 5's "He who mocks the poor reproaches his...", so "evildoer" and "gives" 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 "evildoer" and "gives" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.