Proverbs 17:9

New English Translation

⁹The one who forgives^[a] an offense seeks^[b] love,
but whoever repeats a matter separates close friends.^[c]

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 (m^evaqqesh) 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 American Standard Bible

⁹One who ^(A)conceals an offense seeks love,
But one who repeats a matter ^(B)separates close friends.

¹⁷A friend^[a] loves at all times,
and a relative^[b] is born to help in adversity.^[c]

Proverbs 17:17 sn The verse uses synonymous parallelism, so “friend” and “relative” are equated. Others, however, will take the verse with antithetical parallelism: W. G. Plaut argues that friendship is a spiritual relationship whereas a brother’s ties are based on a blood relationship—often adversity is the only thing that brings brothers together (Proverbs, 189).
Proverbs 17:17 tn Heb “a brother.”
Proverbs 17:17 tn Heb “is born for adversity.” This is not referring to sibling rivalry but to the loyalty a brother shows during times of calamity. This is not to say that a brother only shows loyalty when there is trouble, nor that he always does in these times (e.g., 18:19, 24; 19:7; 27:10). The true friend is the same as a brotherly relation—in times of greatest need the loyal love is displayed.

¹⁷A ^(A)friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.

New English Translation (NET)

New American Standard Bible (NASB)