Proverbs 25:9-10
Christian Standard Bible
9 Make your case with your opponent
without revealing another’s secret;(A)
10 otherwise, the one who hears will disgrace you,
and you’ll never live it down.[a]
Footnotes
- 25:10 Lit and your evil report will not turn back
Proverbs 25:9-10
New English Translation
9 When you argue a case[a] with your neighbor,
do not reveal the secret of another person,[b]
10 lest the one who hears it put you to shame
and your infamy[c] will never go away.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 25:9 tn The verse begins with the direct object רִיבְךָ (rivekha, “your case”) followed by the imperative from the same root, רִיב (riv, “argue”). It is paralleled by the negated Piel jussive. The construction of the clauses indicates that the first colon is foundational to the second: “Argue…but do not reveal,” or better, “When you argue…do not reveal.”
- Proverbs 25:9 sn The concern is that in arguing with one person a secret about another might be divulged, perhaps deliberately in an attempt to clear oneself. The point then is about damaging a friendship by involving the friend without necessity or warrant in someone else’s quarrel.
- Proverbs 25:10 tn The noun דִּבָּה (dibbah, “infamy; defamation; evil report; whispering”) is used of an evil report here (e.g., Gen 37:2), namely a true report of evil doing. So if a person betrays another person’s confidence, he will never be able to live down the bad reputation he made as one who betrays secrets (cf. NIV).
Proverbs 25:17-18
Christian Standard Bible
17 Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house;
otherwise, he’ll get sick of you and hate you.
18 A person giving false testimony against his neighbor(A)
is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.(B)
Proverbs 25:17-18
New English Translation
17 Don’t set foot too frequently[a] in your neighbor’s house,
lest he become weary[b] of you and hate you.
18 Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow,[c]
so is the one who testifies against[d] his neighbor as a false witness.[e]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 25:17 tn Heb “make your foot rare.” The verb is הֹקַר (hoqar), the Hiphil imperative of יָקַר (yaqar, “to be rare; to be precious”). To “make one’s foot rare” would mean to keep the visits to a minimum as well as making them valuable—things increase in value, according to the nuances of this word, when they are rare.
- Proverbs 25:17 tn Heb “gets full.” This verb means “to be sated; to be satisfied; to be filled.” It is often used with reference to food, but here it refers to frequent visits that wear out one’s welcome (cf. NLT).
- Proverbs 25:18 sn The first line identifies the emblem of the proverb: False witnesses are here compared to deadly weapons because they can cause the death of innocent people (e.g., Exod 20:16; Deut 5:20; Prov 14:5).
- Proverbs 25:18 tn The verb עָנָה (ʿanah) followed by the preposition ב (bet) with its object means “to testify against” (answer against someone). With the preposition ל (lamed) it would mean “to testify for” someone. Here the false witness is an adversary, hence the comparison with deadly weapons.
- Proverbs 25:18 tn While עֵד (ʿed) could be interpreted as “evidence” (a meaning that came from a metonymy—what the witness gives in court), its normal meaning is “witness.” Here it would function as an adverbial accusative, specifying how he would answer in court.
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