Proverbs – Lesson 20 – Proverbs 6.12-15 (September 16, 2026)
Proverbs – Lesson 20 – Proverbs 6.12-15 (September 16, 2026)
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LESSON 20
Proverbs 6:12–19
12 A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.
13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;
14 Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.
15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
THE SETTING
Through the book of Proverbs, Solomon teaches his son what it looks like to image God, as well as the danger of failing to image God in our character.
This is the reason we have subtitled the book
“God’s Handbook for His Image Bearers”
Today’s lesson examines Proverbs 6:12–19, and we will learn that Solomon is still teaching his son about making the right choices because they determine the person you become.
Before we discuss chapter 6 we will review what we learned in Proverbs 4:23–26.
Proverbs 4:23–26
23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
This means Solomon has already warned his son to guard his heart:
- The heart represents the mind, emotions, will, and decisions.
The Bible teaches us that what is in the heart will come out in our actions.
Solomon connects the heart to:
- Mouth
- Eyes
- Feet
Each of these body parts produce actions.
- The mouth speaks.
- The eyes look, and stir desire, good or bad.
- The feet move us toward God or away from God.
Solomon is teaching that if a person is going to image God in our character, we must be intentional to guard our heart, speak right things, look on right things, and walk after God.
Now, in chapter 6, Solomon continues this warning. This time he shows his son what type of person he will become if he neglects to guard his heart and control his actions.
Proverbs 6:12–15
12 A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.
13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;
14 Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.
15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
In verse 12, Solomon designates the person who fails to image God as “a naughty person.”
In our modern language this word falls far short of communicating the character Solomon was describing.
The Hebrew word carries the idea of a person who is totally opposite of God’s character.
Notice he uses every part of his body to accomplish evil: mouth, eyes, feet, and hands.
What is a froward mouth?
This represents the mouth that uses words to deceive and twist the truth. This person manipulates with words.
But this also implies the person who uses filthy language, perverse talk, and cursing.
Imaging God!
Consider how this person is the very opposite of imaging God.
What is wrong with winking?
Proverbs 6:13
13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;
Winking was considered evil in both its motives and results, with no sense of the facetiousness we associate with winking today. It is always linked with sin in the Old Testament.
What makes this gesture particularly insidious is its subtlety. Without speaking a word, a worthless, mischievous person can initiate misunderstanding between people, eventually escalating into a full-scale conflict. The wink operates as a silent conspiracy, a knowing glance that bonds the deceiver with willing participants while targeting an unsuspecting victim.
The entire focus of this verse is that the man uses his entire body to send non-verbal cues to others that initiate harm.
In verse 14, Solomon returns his attention to the heart. He is saying that what is in the heart is coming out through the actions.
USE DISCERNMENT (JUDGE WHAT YOU SEE)
A wise person will pick up on the body language and protect themselves and their family from the “naughty person.”
Jesus instructs us to judge character.
Matthew 7:15–20
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
First Jesus warns us to “beware” of false prophets. How can we beware? We must judge their character and their actions.
John 7:24
24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
Notice Jesus did not forbid them from judging. He actually commanded them to judge.
He forbid them/us from neglecting to see past the false appearance and seeing the person inside.
Matthew 12:34–35
34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
Jesus declares that we will know what is in a person’s heart, or who they really are, by what comes out of them, especially their mouth.
WHAT IS SOWING DISCORD?
It is the deliberate act of creating conflict and division through speech and behavior.
The mechanics of discord-sowing operate on multiple levels. Misrepresentation is a primary seed of discord…
Beyond outright lies, hot words escalate conflict. When anger is roused, everything appears in its worst light, and there is no inclination to smooth over difficulty.
The opposite of sowing discord is cultivating unity and peace through reconciliation and truthful, loving communication.
Everything in God’s kingdom operates on the basis of unity and harmony. Rather than fracturing relationships through misrepresentation and inflammatory speech, the alternative involves building bridges.
This positive counterpart manifests in several concrete ways. The Christian who follows God’s wisdom sows righteousness and peace, enabling the Lord to bring these qualities into the lives of others.
A CATASTROPHIC ENDING
In verse 15, Solomon reveals the tragic ending of the naughty person.
Proverbs 6:15
15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
Calamity in Proverbs 6:15 refers to distress or suffering, the inevitable consequence that befalls those who persist in wickedness. The term captures the idea of sudden, overwhelming ruin that destroys the wicked person’s life.
The punishment involving calamity is severe, not a light correction but a strong, deadly blow when God judges sin. This is not a gradual decline or minor setback; it is a catastrophic reversal of fortune. The wicked person will be crushed, destroyed, or ruined, and the destruction cannot be reversed. The person cannot be made whole again.
Paul argues this point in Galatians 6:7–8.
Galatians 6:7–8
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Romans 2:5–6
5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
The suddenness of destruction is emphasized. It is a catastrophic reversal of fortune.
Jesus gave us an example of this in the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19–31.
The rich man lived every day enjoying his wealth while Lazarus suffered at his gate.
Then Jesus simply says, “the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments.”
His opportunity to change was gone.
He wanted relief and wanted someone to warn his brothers, but there was no remedy for the consequences he was facing.
Proverbs 4:23
23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Solomon warns his son, and us, to guard our hearts, for what takes root in the heart shapes our character. Our character must image God’s in order to be in the Kingdom of God.
Sudden destruction will come to all who fail to image God.
Romans 3:23
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Revelation 20:14–15
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.