John Gill Commentary Proverbs 26:28

"A lying tongue hateth those whom it hath wounded; And a flattering mouth worketh ruin." — Proverbs 26:28 (ASV)

A lying tongue hates [those that are] afflicted by it
That is, a man of a lying tongue, that is given to lying, hates those that are hurt and crushed by his lies; the reason why he hurts them with his lies is because he hates them; and, having hurt them, he hates them, being made his enemies, and from whom he may expect and be in fear of revenge:

moreover, he hates those that are troubled at and disturbed with his lies; or the "contrite" ^F16 and humble men: or those who "smite" or "strike" ^F17 him, as some render the word, actively; that is, reprove him, and bring him to shame for lying.

The words are by some translated, a "contrite" person, or everyone of "the contrite ones, hates a lying tongue" ^F18 ; such as are of a broken and of a contrite spirit, and that tremble at the word of God, or are hurt by lies, these abhor a liar.

The Targum is,``a lying tongue bates the ways of truth;'' and the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, render it, "a lying tongue hate truth"; and so the Vulgate Latin version, "a lying tongue loves not truth"; for nothing is more contrary to a lie than truth;

and a flattering mouth worketh ruin ;
both to itself and to the persons flattered by it: or, "makes an impulse" ^F19 ; a pushing, a driving away; it drives away such as cannot bear its flatteries: and pushes on such that are taken with it, both into sin and into ruin.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F16: (wykd) "contritos suos", Montanus, Michaelis.
• F17: "Percutientes", Gejerus.
• F18: "Linguam falsitatis odit quisque contritorum ejus", Cocceius Lexic. col. 158. "quisque contritorum ab ea", ibid. version.
• F19: (hxdm) "expulsionem", Pagninus, Montanus; "impulsum sive lapsum", Vatablus; "impulsionem", Tigurine version, Mercerus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Gejerus, Michaelis, Schultens.