Proverbs 6:17 names seven things the LORD hates: pride, lying, and the shedding of innocent blood, and the verse is a warning that arrogance, deceit and cruelty are not small matters to God. It is part of a father’s counsel to his son, and the list is meant to make the son look honestly at the habits that tear communities and families apart.
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood…
Proverbs 6:17 (WEB)
What Proverbs 6:17 Means
The phrase “haughty eyes” describes a look of contempt, the posture of someone who sees others as beneath them and keeps score from above. It is pride expressed in the face and the glance, the attitude that dismisses people before a word is spoken. “A lying tongue” points to speech that deceives on purpose, whether through outright falsehood or the slippery half-truth that serves the speaker. “Hands that shed innocent blood” moves from attitude to action, naming violence against people who have done nothing to deserve it.
The verse does not promise that every proud person will be struck down the same afternoon, or that every liar will be caught. It describes what God opposes and what those habits do to the world. Proverbs as a whole teaches that God’s judgment works through the slow consequences of choices as well as through dramatic moments, so the verse is best read as a clear statement of divine character and a warning about where pride and deceit lead.
The Context of Proverbs 6:17
The book of Proverbs is a collection of wisdom sayings, traditionally linked with Solomon, addressed to a young man who is being trained to live well before God and among people. Chapter 6 opens with warnings about rash promises and laziness, then turns to a person who sows discord and devises evil. Verses 16 to 19 form a numbered list of what the LORD hates, and verse 17 is the second part of that list, followed by a heart that schemes, feet that rush toward harm, a false witness and one who divides brothers.
Because the list comes right after a description of a person whose calamity arrives suddenly, the verse reads as an explanation of why that ruin comes. The surrounding text ties the sins to damaged relationships and public harm, which shows that the concern is not private etiquette but the health of the community. Verse 20 then turns back to the son, urging him to keep his father’s teaching, so the list is presented as something to guard against in one’s own life.
Key Phrases in Proverbs 6:17
Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does the LORD require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
(WEB)
This verse summarizes what the LORD requires: to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God. It pairs naturally with Proverbs 6:17, since humility is the opposite of haughty eyes and justice is the opposite of violence against the innocent.
Proverbs 12:22
Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who do the truth are his delight.
(WEB)
This proverb shows the same concern with speech from the other side, stating that lying lips are an abomination to the LORD while faithful dealing pleases him. It deepens the warning against a lying tongue by describing what God delights in instead.
A Short Prayer From Proverbs 6:17
Lord, you see the pride that rises in my heart and the words I am tempted to shade with untruth. Search me and show me where I look down on others or speak what is not true. Give me humble eyes that see people as you see them, and a tongue that speaks honestly and kindly. Guard my hands from anything that harms the innocent, and help me live in a way that honors the life you have given. Amen.
