Proverbs 19:28

An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(28) An ungodly (worthless) witness scorneth judgment.—Despises the orders of the Law to avoid perjury (Exodus 20:16; Leviticus 5:1). (Comp. 1Kings 8:31).

The mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity.—As a dainty morsel. (Comp. Proverbs 18:8.)

Benson Commentary

Proverbs 19:28. An ungodly witness scorneth judgment — Hath no reverence to the place of justice, nor to the presence of God there, nor to that sacred and solemn work, of executing judgment, but, in spite of all, gives in a false testimony. And the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity — Uttereth it with as great greediness, delight, and ease, as they swallow down delicious meats and drinks; or, is as eager to commit it in word and deed, as if it were as necessary to their well-being as the food they eat.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

19:27. It is the wisdom of young men to dread hearing such talk as puts loose and evil principles into the mind. 28. Those are the worst of sinners, who are glad of an opportunity to sin.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ungodly witness - literally, "Witness of Belial," "worthless," "untruthful."

Devoureth iniquity - Seizes on it eagerly, as a dainty, lives on it.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

28. ungodly witness—(Compare Margin), one false by bad principles (compare Pr 6:12).

scorneth judgment—sets at naught the dictates of justice.

devoureth—literally, "swalloweth," as something delightful.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Scorneth judgment; hath no reverence to the place of justice, nor to the presence of God there, nor to that sacred and solemn work of executing judgment, but in spite of all gives in a false testimony.

Devoureth iniquity; uttereth with as great greediness, and delight, and ease, as they swallow down delicious meats and drinks. Compare Job 15:16.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

An ungodly witness scorneth judgment,.... Or, "a witness of Belial" (z). A false witness is not awed by the place of judgment where he is; nor by the judge before whom he is; nor by the law, the rule of judgment, nor by the punishment of perjury; he scorns all these, and scoffs at them, and proceeds in bearing a false testimony: or he covers that which is right and just, and eludes judgment by specious and sophistic arguments and pretences. Or this may be understood of a false teacher, that scorns the rule of judgment, or colours over things, to make them plausible, and seem to be agreeable to it;

and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity; greedily, and with pleasure commits it; as a hungry man takes in his food; or a thirsty man drinks down water: and in like manner are false doctrines imbibed by men of perverse minds.

(z) "testis Belijahal", Montanus, Tigurine version, Baynus.

Geneva Study Bible

An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked {k} devoureth iniquity.

(k) Takes a pleasure and delight in it, as gluttons and drunkards in delicate meats and drinks.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

28. ungodly] Rather, worthless. See Proverbs 6:12, note.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 28. - An ungodly (worthless) witness scorneth judgment; derides the Law which denounces perjury and compels a witness to speak truth (Exodus 20:16; Leviticus 5:1), and, as is implied he bears false testimony, thus proving himself "a witness of Belial," according to the Hebrew term. Septuagint, "He who becometh security for a foolish child outrages judgment." The mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity; swallows it eagerly as a toothsome morsel (Proverbs 18:8). So we have in Job 15:16,"A man that drinketh iniquity like water" (see on Proverbs 26:6). Such a man will lie and slander with the utmost pleasure, living and battening on wickedness. Septuagint, "The mouth of the impious drinketh judgments (κρίσεις)," i.e. boldly transgresses the Law. Proverbs 19:28

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

28 A worthless witness scoffeth at right;

     And the mouth of the godless swalloweth up mischief.

The Mosaic law does not know the oath of witnesses; but the adjuring of witnesses to speak the truth, Leviticus 4:1, places a false statement almost in the rank of perjury. The משׁפּט, which legally and morally binds witnesses, is just their duty to state the matter in accordance with truth, and without deceitful and malicious reservation; but a worthless witness (vid., regarding בּליּעל, Proverbs 6:12) despiseth what is right (יליץ with accus.-obj. like Proverbs 14:9), i.e., scornfully disregards this duty. Under 28b Hitzig remarks that בלע only in Kal means to devour, but in Piel, on the contrary, to absorb equals annihilate; therefore he reads with the lxx and Syr. דּין justice instead of און mischief: the mouth of the wicked murders that which is right, properly, swallows down his feeling of right. But בּלּע interchanges with בּלע in the sense of swallowing only, without the connected idea of annihilation; cf. כּבלּע for the continuance [duration] of a gulp equals for a moment, Numbers 4:20 with Job 7:29; and one can thus understand 28b without any alteration of the text after Job 15:16; cf. Proverbs 20:12-15, as well as with the text altered after Isaiah 3:12, by no means so that one makes און the subject: mischief swallows up, i.e., destroys, the mouth of the wicked (Rashi); for when "mouth" and "to swallow" stand connected, the mouth is naturally that which swallows, not that which is swallowed (cf. Ecclesiastes 10:12 : the mouth of the fool swallows, i.e., destroys, him). Thus 28b means that wickedness, i.e., that which is morally perverse, is a delicious morsel for the mouth of the godless, which he eagerly devours; to practise evil is for him, as we say, "ein wahrer Genuss" [a true enjoyment].