Strife and slander ruin the unity that God designed us to enjoy.
In the midst of Solomon’s many observations on righteous and unrighteous behavior, he warns that “A perverse man spreads strife, And a slanderer separates intimate friends” (Proverbs 16:28). This proverb describes two destructive traits that derail community and fellowship. First is the “perverse man,” who spreads strife, literally sending out evil in his wake. Like someone misaligned with God’s design, he introduces turmoil and discord rather than unity. Elsewhere in Proverbs, spreading strife is likened to the willful sowing of disharmony—an attitude that can infect relationships and distort truth, pulling people away from harmony with each other.
The second warning is about “a slanderer” who “separates intimate friends.” Slander springs from pointed selfishness, aiming to tear others down through harmful words. Such a person weaponizes rumors or allegations to divide close companions. Proverbs 10:18 even compares constant slandering to foolishness because it erodes trust and fosters hatred. The falsehoods of a slanderer have a ripple effect, undoing strong bonds of fellowship by breeding suspicion and anger.
Taken together, these traits—perversity and slander—signal a loss of reverence for God’s moral order. Instead of respecting the worth of others, the perverse man and the slanderer choose to exploit vulnerabilities, inflicting harm for their own warped intentions. God’s Word repeatedly calls His people to speak truth and love their neighbors, because restoring brokenness begins when speech honors goodness rather than sows destruction (Ephesians 4:29).
Set to dark mode
Proverbs 16:28 meaning
In the midst of Solomon’s many observations on righteous and unrighteous behavior, he warns that “A perverse man spreads strife, And a slanderer separates intimate friends” (Proverbs 16:28). This proverb describes two destructive traits that derail community and fellowship. First is the “perverse man,” who spreads strife, literally sending out evil in his wake. Like someone misaligned with God’s design, he introduces turmoil and discord rather than unity. Elsewhere in Proverbs, spreading strife is likened to the willful sowing of disharmony—an attitude that can infect relationships and distort truth, pulling people away from harmony with each other.
The second warning is about “a slanderer” who “separates intimate friends.” Slander springs from pointed selfishness, aiming to tear others down through harmful words. Such a person weaponizes rumors or allegations to divide close companions. Proverbs 10:18 even compares constant slandering to foolishness because it erodes trust and fosters hatred. The falsehoods of a slanderer have a ripple effect, undoing strong bonds of fellowship by breeding suspicion and anger.
Taken together, these traits—perversity and slander—signal a loss of reverence for God’s moral order. Instead of respecting the worth of others, the perverse man and the slanderer choose to exploit vulnerabilities, inflicting harm for their own warped intentions. God’s Word repeatedly calls His people to speak truth and love their neighbors, because restoring brokenness begins when speech honors goodness rather than sows destruction (Ephesians 4:29).