Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 16:28

A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.

28. soweth ] Rather, scattereth abroad, R.V. , LXX. Comp. Pro 6:14.

separateth chief friends ] “Or, alienateih his friend,” R.V. marg. See Pro 19:7.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

A froward man; or, perverse man, who perverteth his words and ways; who pleaseth not God, and is contrary to men, as was said of the Jews, 1Th 2:15.

Soweth strife, by whispering such things as may provoke one against another.

A whisperer, who secretly carries tales from one to another, publishing those evil words and actions which they should conceal, and detracting from their good actions, and perverting such as are innocent with their false constructions.

Chief friends, Heb. a chief friend; the singular number put for the plural, as is frequent in the Hebrew text.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

28. (Compare Pro 6:14;Pro 10:31).

whispererprater,talebearer (Pro 18:8; Pro 26:20).

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

A froward man soweth strife,…. Or “a man of perversenesses” q; in whose heart is frowardness and perverseness; and whose mouth speaketh froward and perverse things, contrary to reason, law, and Gospel; and who has a spirit of contradiction, and is contrary to all men in his principles and practices; such a man sows discord and strife wherever he comes, in families, in neighbourhoods, in churches, in commonwealths, in civil and religious societies; and he seldom fails of finding a soil fit for his purpose, or ground susceptive of the seed he sows, where it takes root and thrives; see Pr 6:19;

and a whisperer separateth chief friends; one that goes from place to place, from house to house, carrying tales, whispering into the ears of persons things prejudicial to the characters of others, mere lies and falsehoods; such a man by his conduct separates one friend from another, even chief friends, that have been for a long time in the closest and most intimate friendship; he alienates their minds one from another, so that they will not come near one another, or keep up any correspondence as before. The word for “chief friends” is in the singular number, and signifies a prince or leader; and such men, according to the station they are in, and the influence they have, separate princes, as the Vulgate Latin version renders it, from their subjects, and stir up the latter to rebel against them; at least alienate their affections from them; and pastors of churches from their flocks, and husbands from their wives: and such a man, at last, when found out, separates his best friends from himself, as well as from one another; who drop him as a worthless person, yea, as dangerous to converse with; so sin, that whisperer and agitator, separates between God and men, Isa 59:2.

q “vir perversitatum”, Montanus, Baynus, Schultens; “vir perversitatibus deditus”, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

28 A man of falsehood scattereth strife,

And a backbiter separateth confidential friends.

Regarding ( ) , vid., Pro 2:12, and , Pro 6:14; the thought of 28b is found at Pro 6:19. (with minusculum, which occurs thrice with the terminal Nun) is a Niphal formation from , to murmur (cf. , from ), and denotes the whisperer, viz., the backbiter, , Sir. 5:14, , susurro ; the Arab. nyrj is abbreviated from it, a verbal stem of (cf. Aram. norgo , an axe, Arab. naurag , a threshing-sledge = ) cannot be proved. Aquila is right in translating by , and Theodotion by , from , Hiph. , . Regarding , confidential friend, vid., p. 82; the sing., as Pro 18:9, is used in view of the mutual relationship, and proceeds on the separation of the one, and, at the same time, of the other from it. Luther, in translating by “a slanderer makes princes disagree,” is in error, for , , is not a generic word for prince.

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

(28) A froward man.Who distorts the truth.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

28. A froward man A perverter.

A whisperer Murmurer; a man who is always complaining. It also means a garrulous man, a great talker, tattler, or talebearer. Comp. Pro 6:14; Pro 6:19; Pro 15:18; Pro 17:9; Pro 18:8; Pro 26:20-22; Pro 29:22.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

v. 28. A froward man, one who makes use of malice, soweth strife, for his conduct is bound to create enmity; and a whisperer, a backbiter, separateth chief friends, causing close friends to be divided, for such is the effect of slander skillfully disseminated.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

Pro 16:28 A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.

Ver. 28. A froward man soweth strife. ] The Belialist before mentioned, Pro 16:27 as he digs, so he sows; but as ill seed as may be, that which comes not up but with a curse, as cud-weed, a and devil’s bit. He is a sedulous seedsman of sedition; this bad seed he sows in every furrow where he can find footing.

And a whisperer separateth even very friends. ] A pestilent tale bearer that carries tales, and so sows strife. Such were Doeg and other abjects that tare David’s name, “and ceased not,” Psa 35:15 tossing it with their carrion mouths as dogs, buzzing into Saul’s ears ever and anon that which might set him agog against him. Such also were those malicious make baits the Pharisees, who, when they thought the disciples had offended, spake not to them, but to their Master, “Why do thy disciples that which is not lawful?” As when they thought Christ offended, they spake not to him, but to his disciples. Thus these whisperers went about to “separate very friends,” to make a breach in the family of Christ, by setting off the one from the other. “The words of such whisperers are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.” Pro 18:8 They are like the wind that creeps in by the chinks and crevices in a wall, or the cracks in a window, that commonly prove more dangerous than a storm that meets a man in the face upon the champion [the plain].

a The common name for the genus Gnaphalium of composite plants, having chaffy scales surrounding the flower heads; originally proper to G. sylvaticum; extended to other plants, of allied genera, or similar appearance.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

soweth = sendeth forth. Illustrations: Princes of Ammon (2Sa 10:3); Ziba (2Sa 16:3); Chaldeans (Dan 3:8-13); Herodias (Mar 6:19).

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

Pro 16:28

Pro 16:28

“A perverse man scattereth abroad strife; And a whisperer separateth chief friends.”

“Troublemakers are always causing problems; and the person who spreads gossip causes trouble between close friends.

Pro 16:28. Here is the person of Pro 16:27 in action. He is perverse because he is perverting his time and powers to destructive from constructive possibilities. He is creating and scattering strife abroad, which is contrary to the will and desire of God (Pro 6:14; Pro 15:18; Pro 26:21; Pro 29:22). One of his chief ways of proceeding is to work secretly (whisperer). This way he can work quietly, be less detected, and appears to be confiding information to those whom he is approaching. And, oh, the power for evil that this approach has: it separates chief friends. Quite an accomplishment, wouldnt you say! Pro 17:9 says that he that harpeth on a matter can also separate chief friends.

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

froward: Pro 6:14, Pro 6:19, Pro 15:18, Pro 18:8, Pro 26:20-22, Pro 29:22, Pro 30:33, 1Ti 6:3-5, Jam 3:14-16

soweth: Heb. sendeth forth

a whisperer: Pro 17:9, Gen 3:1-13, 1Sa 24:9, Rom 1:29, 2Co 12:20

Reciprocal: Psa 41:7 – whisper Pro 2:12 – from the man Pro 18:6 – fool’s

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge