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Tim Maas
Jack Gutknecht
What are the Seven Abominations?
When [a]he speaks kindly, do not believe him, For there are seven abominations in his heart;
Proverbs 26:25
NKJV - 25 When he speaks kindly, do not believe him, For there are seven abominations in his heart.
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Asked November 01 2018
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Anonymous
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Tim Maas
In my opinion, the number seven is used in the verse cited in the question (as it is elsewhere in the Bible) as a symbol of completeness or perfection, in the same manner in which God rested on the seventh day after completing the creation of the universe. Saying that there are seven abominations in the heart of the person who flatters someone with his words, while actually hating him, is not meant to correspond to an actual number, but is intended to express the extreme depths or complete degree of the person's hatred.
Jack Gutknecht
“When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, for there are seven abominations within him” (in his heart). –Proverbs 26:25 It may be that the placing of this proverb in this setting is designed to signal or indicate that the person speaking graciously is this wicked person who hides or conceals an evil heart. As a disciple of Christ, don’t believe someone just because he sounds wonderful! Carefully discern if he’s sincere. The number “seven” is used in scripture as the complete number. In this passage it is not intended to be literally seven; rather, the expression means that there is complete or total abomination in his heart. Cf. TEV “his heart is filled to the brim with hate.” “Abomination” means something that is loathed. The complete proverb in question (Proverbs 26:25) should actually probably be lumped together or combined (grouped together) with 2 others, Proverbs 26:24-26 (see it as one whole complete paragraph in the NIV). This proverb signifies that people with hate in their hearts may sound pleasant enough; as a disciple of Christ, don’t believe what these people say!
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