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Proverbs 11:13
New English Translation
Proverbs 11:13
New English Translation
13 The one who goes about slandering others[a] reveals[b] secrets,
but the one who is trustworthy[c] conceals a matter.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 11:13 tn Heb “going about in slander.” This expression refers to a slanderer. The noun means “slander” and so “tale-bearer” (so KJV, ASV, NASB), “informer.” The related verb (רָכַל, rakhal) means “to go about” from one person to another, either for trade or for gossip.
- Proverbs 11:13 tn The participle מְגַלֶּה (megalleh) means “uncovering” or “revealing” secrets.sn This is the intent of a person who makes disparaging comments about others—he cannot wait to share secrets that should be kept.
- Proverbs 11:13 tn Heb “faithful of spirit.” This phrase describes the inner nature of the person as faithful and trustworthy. This individual will not rush out to tell whatever information he has heard, but will conceal it.
Proverbs 11:13
New Living Translation
Proverbs 11:13
New Living Translation
13 A gossip goes around telling secrets,
but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.
Proverbs 16:28
New English Translation
Proverbs 16:28
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 16:28 tn Heb “a man of perverse things”; NAB “an intriguer.” This refers to someone who destroys lives. The parallelism suggests that he is a “slanderer” or “gossip”—one who whispers and murmurs (18:8; 26:20, 22).
- Proverbs 16:28 tn The term אַלּוּף (ʾalluf) refers to a “friend” or “an intimate associate.” The word has other possible translations, including “tame” or “docile” when used of animals. Rashi, a Jewish scholar who lived a.d. 1040-1105, took it in the later sense of “prince,” saying that such speech alienates the Prince, namely God. But that is a forced interpretation of the line.
Proverbs 16:28
New Living Translation
Proverbs 16:28
New Living Translation
28 A troublemaker plants seeds of strife;
gossip separates the best of friends.
Proverbs 17:9
New English Translation
Proverbs 17:9
New English Translation
9 The one who forgives[a] an offense seeks[b] love,
but whoever repeats a matter separates close friends.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 17:9 tn Heb “covers” (so NASB); NIV “covers over.” How people respond to the faults of others reveals whether or not they have love. The contrast is between one who “covers” (forgives, cf. NCV, NRSV) the fault of a friend and one who repeats news about it. The former promotes love because he cares about the person; the latter divides friends.
- Proverbs 17:9 sn The participle מְבַקֵּשׁ (mevaqqesh) means “seeks” in the sense of seeking to secure or procure or promote love. There can be no friendship without such understanding and discretion.
- Proverbs 17:9 sn W. G. Plaut notes that harping on the past has destroyed many friendships and marriages (Proverbs, 188). W. McKane observes that this line refers to the person who breaks up friendships by his scandalous gossip, even if it is done with a kind of zeal for the welfare of the community, for it will destroy love and trust (Proverbs [OTL], 508-9).
Proverbs 17:9
New Living Translation
Proverbs 17:9
New Living Translation
9 Love prospers when a fault is forgiven,
but dwelling on it separates close friends.
Proverbs 18:8
New English Translation
Proverbs 18:8
New English Translation
8 The words of a gossip[a] are like choice morsels;[b]
and they have gone down into the person’s innermost being.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 18:8 tn Or “slanderer”; KJV, NAB “talebearer”; ASV, NRSV “whisperer.”
- Proverbs 18:8 tn The word כְּמִתְלַהֲמִים (kemitlahamim) occurs only here (and 26:22 where the verse is repeated verbatim). It is related to a cognate verb meaning “to swallow greedily,” so here “things swallowed greedily,” meaning food delicacies. Earlier English versions took it from a Hebrew root הָלַם (halam, see the word לְמַהֲלֻמוֹת [lemahalumot] in v. 6) meaning “wounds” (so KJV) or reflexively for the Hitpael as “self-inflicted wounds.” But the translation of “choice morsels” seems to fit the next image of going into the belly better. But that could also show the extent of wounds.
- Proverbs 18:8 tn Heb “they have gone down [into] the dark/inner chambers of the belly”; NASB “of the body.” sn When the choice morsels of gossip are received, they go down like delicious food—into the innermost being; they have been too easily believed. R. N. Whybray says, “There is a flaw in human nature that assures slander will be listened to” (Proverbs [CBC], 105).
Proverbs 18:8
New Living Translation
Proverbs 18:8
New Living Translation
8 Rumors are dainty morsels
that sink deep into one’s heart.
Proverbs 20:19
New English Translation
Proverbs 20:19
New English Translation
19 The one who goes about gossiping[a] reveals secrets;
therefore do not associate[b] with someone who is always opening his mouth.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 20:19 sn The word describes a slanderer (NASB), a tale-bearer (KJV, ASV), or an informer. BDB 940 s.v. רָכִיל says the Hebrew expression “goers of slander” means slanderous persons. However, W. McKane observes that these people are not necessarily malicious—they just talk too much (Proverbs [OTL], 537).
- Proverbs 20:19 tn The form is the Hitpael imperfect (of prohibition or instruction) from עָרַב (ʿarav). BDB 786-88 lists six roots with these radicals. The first means “to mix,” but only occurs in derivatives. BDB 786 lists this form under the second root, which means “to take on a pledge; to exchange.” The Hitpael is then defined as “to exchange pledges; to have fellowship with [or, share].” The proverb is warning people to have nothing to do with gossips.
- Proverbs 20:19 tn The verb פֹּתֶה (poteh) is a homonym, related to I פָּתָה (patah, “to be naive; to be foolish”; HALOT 984-85 s.v. I פתה) or II פָּתָה (“to open [the lips]; to chatter”; HALOT 985 s.v. II פתה). So the phrase וּלְפֹתֶה שְׂפָתָיו may be understood either (1) as HALOT 985 s.v. II פתה suggests, “one opens his lips” = he is always talking/gossiping, or (2) as BDB suggests, “one who is foolish as to his lips” (he lacks wisdom in what he says; see BDB 834 s.v. II פָּתָה, noted in HALOT 984 s.v. I פתה 1). The term “lips” is a metonymy of cause for what is said: gossip. If such a person is willing to talk about others, he will be willing to talk about you, so it is best to avoid him altogether.
Proverbs 20:19
New Living Translation
Proverbs 20:19
New Living Translation
19 A gossip goes around telling secrets,
so don’t hang around with chatterers.
Proverbs 26:20
New English Translation
Proverbs 26:20
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 26:20 sn Gossip (that is, the one who goes around whispering and slandering) fuels contention just as wood fuels a fire. The point of the proverb is to prevent contention—if one takes away the cause, contention will cease (e.g., 18:8).
- Proverbs 26:20 tn Heb “becomes silent.”
Proverbs 26:20
New Living Translation
Proverbs 26:20
New Living Translation
20 Fire goes out without wood,
and quarrels disappear when gossip stops.
Proverbs 26:22
New English Translation
Proverbs 26:22
New English Translation
22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
and they have gone down into a person’s innermost being.[a]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 26:22 tn The proverb is identical to 18:8 (see notes there); it observes how appealing gossip is.
Proverbs 26:22
New Living Translation
Proverbs 26:22
New Living Translation
22 Rumors are dainty morsels
that sink deep into one’s heart.
New English Translation (NET)
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New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.