Proverbs 11:9 (NKJV) — 9 The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor, But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.

The destructive mouth. The Book of Proverbs repeatedly discusses the power of words both for good and evil. The hypocrite’s major weapon is his mouth. A hypocrite is a pretender. For example, he pretends to love his neighbor, especially to his face, but behind his neighbor’s back he gossips, slanders, and spreads rumors. The righteous person is not at the mercy of the hypocrite, however. He can be delivered through right knowledge, specifically the knowledge of God’s Word. A person who has a knowledge of the Word of God will know what to do, how to do it, and when to do it in order to be delivered.

[archive]