Insincere and undeserved praise or words of encouragement, used with the intention of gaining favour with others.
Flattery is deceitful
Psalm 12:2–3 See also Psalm 5:9, Psalm 55:20–21, Psalm 62:4; Proverbs 27:6; Jeremiah 9:8
They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart. May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue.
The results of flattery are ruinous
Proverbs 26:28 See also Proverbs 29:5
A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth causes ruin.
Flattery is rejected by godly people
Job 32:21–22 See also Galatians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:5–6
I will be partial to no one, nor will I flatter any man. For I do not know how to flatter, or my Maker would remove me in an instant.[’’]
Honesty is preferable to flattery
Proverbs 28:23 See also Proverbs 16:13, Proverbs 27:9
He who rebukes a man will later find more favor than one who flatters with his tongue.
False teachers use flattery
Romans 16:17–18 See also 2 Timothy 4:3–4; Jude 1:16–19
Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Turn away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
Examples of flattery
2 Samuel 14:17–20 The woman from Tekoa flatters David; 2 Samuel 15:2–6 Absalom to Israelites; Daniel 6:21 Daniel flatters the king; Matthew 22:16 parallels Mark 12:14, Luke 20:21 the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus Christ; Luke 20:21 The spies from the teachers of the law flatter Jesus Christ; Acts 12:22 The crowds flatter Herod.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.