Fair Warning (1)
A worthless person, a wicked man, is one who walks with a perverse mouth, who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who points with his fingers; who, with perversion in his heart, continually devises evil, who spreads strife. Therefore his disaster will come suddenly; instantly he will be broken and there will be no healing. Proverbs 6:12-15 NASB
Walks – But this isn’t the right verb! We don’t “walk” with our mouths. We talk with our mouths. So why does the text use the verb hālak? In fact, the whole phrase “one who walks with” is the single verb hôlēk, the present participle of the root. In other words, it isn’t “who walks.” It’s “who walking,” that is, a continuous, unfinished action. So, why this verb?
The answer is typical Hebrew. The root hālak isn’t just about taking a stroll. This verb is especially used of human movement. It’s about living, walking in a certain way, taking a particular path in life. The synonyms help us understand the full implications. They are “rûṣ ‘run,’ bô ‘come, enter,’ yāṣāʾ ‘go out,’ ʿālâ ‘ascend,’ and šûb ‘return.’ Its antonyms are: yāšab ‘sit,’ and ʿāmad ‘stand.’”[1] In other words, walking is a description of lifestyle, attitude, character. The person in this verse isn’t speaking as he is walking. He is continually spouting perversity. It’s what he constantly says. It’s how he thinks.
Now that we understand how Hebraic descriptions of movement are associated with personal character, we need to ask, “What is this perverse speech?” That Hebrew word is ʿiqqĕšût.
. . . the root ʿāqaš and its derivatives are used to describe the twisted and perverted acts of sinful men. In Isa 42:16 it denotes the difficulties the Lord will overcome in saving his people out of their desperate situation. In Deut 32:5 ʿiqqēš is used in hendiadys with pĕtaltōl “tortuous,” of a desperately wicked generation (see also Prov 8:8; Ps 18:26 [H 27]). Other synonyms for ʿāqaš are hāpak “to turn;” lûz “to go the wrong way;” ʿāwâ “to pervert the right;” sālap “to twist;” ʿāwat “to make crooked, pervert.” Wicked rulers “twist everything that is straight” (Mic 3:9, NASB). The perverse of lips is a fool (Prov 19:1), and the perverse of heart is an abomination to Yahweh (Prov 11:20).[2]
The rest of this verse amplifies what ʿiqqĕšût looks like in human action. Winking, signaling, pointing, devising evil, spreading strife—all manifestations of a way of life that opposes God’s instructions and good character. Woe to those who have to live under the rule of such a person! God considers this kind of behavior an abomination. Those who are subject to such a person experience suffering and oppression. Something has to be done!
Perhaps you’ve already realized that Proverbs 6 is today’s front page news.
Topical Index: hôlēk, walk, character, ʿiqqĕšût, perverse, Proverbs 6:12-15
[1] Coppes, L. J. (1999). 498 הָלַך. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 216). Moody Press.
[2] Allen, R. B. (1999). 1684 עָקַשׁ. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 693). Moody Press.
