There Was a Crooked Man Who Had a Crooked Tongue...

(Proverbs 4:24 KJV)  Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

I start my study each day in the NASB.  When I checked the KJV I saw that “deceitful” (6143) was translated with “froward” (6143).  I just happened to check my Hebrew tools and it said this word was only used twice in the Old Testament.  That didn’t seem right so I looked a little deeper.  It turns out that there are several words translated “froward.”  Some are related, some are not but they all go back in one way or another to “twisted” or “crooked.”

The target of this verse is honesty in speech.  It does not use the word “lie.”  It uses the idea of being crooked as a synonym.  We can be so clever in how we speak that we can claim we have not lied but we have so twisted the use of the language that we have deliberately deceived.  This is not acceptable in the eyes of God.

So?  Be known as one who speaks directly and with clarity.  It may make people uncomfortable   It may get you in trouble.  It also may help you get into heaven.