Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 18:8
The words of a talebearer [are] as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
8. talebearer ] Rather, whisperer, R.V., secret calumniator, as in Pro 16:28; bilinguis, Vulg.
wounds ] Rather, dainty morsels, R.V.; so greedily do men swallow down and retain them. This proverb occurs again, Pro 26:22.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 8. The words of a tale-bearer] dibrey nirgan, “the words of the whisperer,” the busy-body, the busy, meddling croaker. Verba bilinguis, “the words of the double-tongued.” – Vulgate. The wordes of the twisel tunge. – Old MS. Bible. “The words of a slanderer.” – Coverdale.
The words of a deceiver, the fair-spoken, deeply-malicious man, though they appear soft and gracious, are wounds deeply injurious.
The original word is kemithlahamim; they are as soft or simple, or undesigning. But Schultens gives another meaning. He observes that [Arabic] lahamah in Arabic signifies to “swallow down quickly or greedily.” Such words are like dainties, eagerly swallowed, because inviting to the taste; like gingerbread, apparently gilded over, though with Dutch leaf, which is a preparation of copper; or sweetmeats powdered over with red candied seeds, which are thus formed by red lead; both deeply ruinous to the tender bowels of the poor little innocents, but, because of their sweetness and inviting colour, greedily swallowed down. This makes a good reading, and agrees with the latter clause of the verse, “they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The words of a tale-bearer, who privily slandereth his neighbour,
are as wounds; deeply wound the reputation, and afterwards the heart, of the slandered person. Compare Pro 12:18. Or, as others render the word, are
as smooth or flattering, i.e. they really are so; the particle as being oft used to express the truth of the thing, as hath been noted before. See also Joh 1:14. They are softer than oil, as is said, Psa 55:21. For slanderers use to cover and usher in their calumnies with pretences or kindness and compassion to them whom they traduce.
They go down into the innermost parts of the belly; they wound mortally, piercing to the heart, which is oft meant by the belly; as Job 15:35; 32:19, &c.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
8. (Compare Pr16:28).
as woundsnot sustainedby the Hebrew; better, as “sweet morsels,” which mengladly swallow.
innermost . . . bellythemind, or heart (compare Pro 20:27-30;Psa 22:14).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The words of a talebearer [are] as wounds,…. Or rather they are wounds; they wound the credit and reputation of the person of whom the tale is told; they wound the person to whom it is told, and destroy his love and affection to his friend; and in the issue they wound, hurt, and ruin the talebearer himself. Or, they are “as of those that are wounded” m; they pretend to be affected with the case they tell, and to be grieved for the failings and infirmities of those they are secretly exposing, when at the same time they rejoice at them: or, they are “secret” hidden ones, as Aben Ezra interprets it; they are spoken secretly, and wound secretly, in a backbiting way: or, they are “smooth” or flattering n, as Kimchi; they are smoother than oil, and glide easily into the minds of others: rather, “are greedily swallowed down” o, as the word in the Arabic language signifies; as Schultens has shown, and so renders it. Hence it follows:
and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly; go down pleasantly, and sink deep into the hearts of those to whom they are told; where they have a place and remain, both to the injury of the persons that receive them, and of them of whom they are told; and, though pleasing at first, they are as wounds in the inner parts, which are mortal.
m “similia sunt verbis eorum, qui saepenumero contusi sunt”, Junius Tremellius “ut contusorum”, Cocceius. n “Ut lenientia”, Montanus; “velut blanda”, Vatablus, Mercerus, Gejerus; “quasi blandientia”, Schmidt, so Ben Melech. o “Tanquam avide deglutita crustula”, Schultens.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
A pair of proverbs regarding the flatterer and the slothful:
8 The words of the flatter are as dainty morsels,
And they glide down into the innermost parts.
An “analogy, with an epexegesis in the second member” (Fl.), which is repeated in Pro 26:22. Ewald, Bertheau, Hitzig, and others, are constrained to interpret as introducing a contrast, and in this sense they give to all kinds of unwarrantable meanings. Ewald translates: a burning ( , cogn. ), and offers next: as whispering ( , cogn. , ); Ch. B. Michaelis, Bertheau, and others: as sporting ( , cogn. ); Hitzig: like soft airs ( , cogn. Arab. hillam , flaccus, laxus ). All these interpretations are without support. The word has none of all these significations; it means, as the Arab. lahima warrants, deglutire . But Bttcher’s explanation also: “as swallowed down, because spoken with reserve,” proceeds, like those others, from the supposed syntactically fine yet false supposition, that 8b is an antithetic “ dennoch ” [ tamen ]. In that case the poet would have written (cf. , as the beginning of a conditional clause, Pro 3:29; Pro 23:3). But , , with the finite following, introduces neither here nor at Deu 33:3; Jdg 20:34; Psa 95:10, cf. Gen 43:23, a conditional clause. Thus 8b continues the clause 8a by one standing on the same line; and thus we do not need to invent a meaning for , which forms a contrast to the penetrating into the innermost parts. The relation of the parts of the proverb is rightly given by Luther:
The words of the slanderer are stripes,
And they go through the heart of one.
He interprets as transposed from (Rashi and others); but stripes cannot be called – they are called, 6b, . This interpretation of the word has always more support than that of Symmachus: ; Jerome: quasi simplicia ; Aquila, xxvi. 22: ; which last, as also that of Capellus, Clericus, and Schultens: quasi numine quodam afflata , seems to support itself on the Arab. ahm iv. inspirare . But in reality ahm does not mean afflare ; it means deglutire , and nothing else. The Jewish lexicographers offer nothing worth considering; Kimchi’s , according to which the Venet. translates , is fanciful; for the Talm. , striking = hitting, suitable, standing well, furnishes no transition to “smooth” and “soft.” Immanuel compares ahm = ; and Schultens, who is followed by Gesenius and others, has already, with perfect correctness, explained: tanquam quae avidissime inglutiantur . Thus also Fleischer: things which offer themselves to be eagerly gulped down, or which let themselves be thus swallowed. But in this way can one be truly just to the Hithpa.? The Arab. althm (stronger form, altkm , according to which van Dyk translates mthl ukam hlwt , like sweet morsels) means to swallow into oneself, which is not here appropriate. The Hithpa. will thus have here a passive signification: things which are greedily swallowed. Regarding from , vid., at Pro 16:28. refers to the words of the flatterer, and is emphatic, equivalent to aeque illa, etiam illa , or illa ipsa . is here connected with the obj. accus. (cf. Pro 1:12) instead of with , Pro 7:27. , penetralia , we had already at Pro 7:27; the root-word is (Arab.) khdr , to seclude, to conceal, different from hdr , demittere , and hkhr (cogn. ), to finish, circumire . is the inner part of the body with reference to the organs lying there, which mediate not only the life of the body, but also that of the mind – in general, the internal part of the personality. The lxx does not translate this proverb, but has in its stead Pro 19:15, in a different version, however, from that it gives there; the Syr. and the Targ. have thereby been drawn away from the Hebr. text.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
8 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
Tale-bearers are those who secretly carry stories from house to house, which perhaps have some truth in them, but are secrets not fit to be told, or are basely misrepresented, and false colours put upon them, and are all told with design to blast men’s reputation, to break their friendship, to make mischief between relations and neighbours, and set them at variance. Now the words of such are here said to be, 1. Like as when men are wounded (so the margin reads it); they pretend to be very much affected with the miscarriages of such and such, and to be in pain for them, and pretend that it is with the greatest grief and reluctance imaginable that they speak of them. They look as if they themselves were wounded by it, whereas really they rejoice in iniquity, are fond of the story, and tell it with pride and pleasure. Thus their words seem; but they go down as poison into the innermost parts of the belly, the pill being thus gilded, thus sugared. 2. As wounds (so the text reads it), as deep wounds, deadly wounds, wounds in the innermost parts of the belly; the venter medius vel infimus–the middle or lower belly, the thorax or the abdomen, in either of which wounds are mortal. The words of the tale-bearer wound him of whom they are spoken, his credit and interest, and him to whom they are spoken, his love and charity. They occasion sin to him, which is a wound to the conscience. Perhaps he seems to slight them, but they would insensibly, by alienating his affections from one he ought to love.
| Folly and Pride Exposed. | |
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Beware of Talebearing
Verse 8 declares that the destructive words of the talebearer are as tasty morsels eagerly swallowed by the. recipient. Scripture rebukes both bearer and recipient of the whisperer’s tales, Pro 11:13; Pro 13:3; Pro 17:9; Pro 16:28; Pro 20:19; Pro 26:20; Lev 19:16; Psa 34:13; Jas 1:26; 1Pe 3:10.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(8) The words of a talebearer are as wounds.Or, more probably, as dainty morsels that are eagerly swallowed, and go down into the innermost parts of the belly, i.e., are treasured up in the deepest recesses of the heart, to be remembered and brought out again when an opportunity for employing them occurs.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8. Words of a talebearer Of a whisperer, slanderer, Pro 16:28.
Are as wounds , ( kimithlahamim,) dainties, sweetmeats. So Gesenius, Conant, etc. Some read, are “sportive ones.” There are various other readings. The word occurs only here and in Pro 26:22. The sense dainties is probably to be taken. The going down into the innermost parts is to be applied to the person who listens. He swallows the tales greedily, like sweetmeats. The expression may refer to that relish with which many listen to tales of scandal. Comp. Pro 20:27.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The Fool Destroys Others And Is Therefore Himself Destroyed, But The Righteous Are Kept Safe ( Pro 18:8-13 ).
In this subsection there is an emphasis on the way in which a fool destroys a community. He does it by whispering slander which is eagerly swallowed by others (Pro 18:8); by neglecting his land and thus reducing the stock of food available just as effectively as an invader would (Pro 18:9); by haughtiness which alienates him from others and leads to his own destruction (Pro 18:12); and by continually passing on rumours (Pro 18:13). But the righteous are kept safe because they shelter in the name and nature of YHWH, and are themselves humble. As a consequence He sets them on high (Pro 18:10; Pro 18:12).
The subsection is presented chiastically as follows:
A The words of a whisperer (talebearer, slanderer) are as delicacies, and they go down into the innermost parts (Pro 18:8).
B He also who is slack in his work, is brother to him who is a destroyer (Pro 18:9).
C The name of YHWH is a strong tower, the righteous runs into it, and is set on high (Pro 18:10).
C The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and as a high wall in his own imagination (Pro 18:11).
B Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour goes humility (Pro 18:12).
A He who gives answer before he hears, it is folly and shame to him (Pro 18:13).
Note that in A we have the words of the whisperer (the talebearer, the slanderer) and in the parallel the one who gives answer before he hears, which is typical of the slanderer. In B we have reference to the sluggard as the destroyer, and in the parallel reference to the destruction of the haughty man. Centrally in C YHWH is a secure tower for the righteous, but in the parallel the rich man’s riches, which appear to him as a secure fortified city, are in fact an illusory place of safety.
Pro 18:8
‘The words of a whisperer are as delicacies,
And they go down into the innermost parts (the chambers of the belly).’
Here Solomon likens the fool to a whisperer, one who goes around spreading half truths and innuendoes, which foolish people see as ‘delicacies, tasty morsels’, and take right into their hearts, dividing up families, friends and communities. He is a destroyer of harmony among relatives and friends, and to be avoided (Pro 20:19). And sadly, only too often, ‘he gives answer before he hears’ (Pro 18:13). He does not wait to check up on his facts. After all, why spoil a good story? The proverb is warning about the insidiousness of whisperers and gossips.
Sadly both the whisperer and those who listen to him are only too common. There are those who love to whisper and gossip, passing on the latest titbit. And there are those who love to listen to such whispered slander and innuendo which blackens others. They are never happier than when someone whispers to them, ‘have you heard about –?’ To them the words of the slanderer are like delicacies, which they savour and then swallow, taking them into their innermost hearts.
The same proverb occurs in Pro 26:22 as a proverb of Solomon preserved by the men of Hezekiah, demonstrating how apt it was seen to be. Paul describes such when he speaks of those who ‘learn to be idlers, gadding about from house to house, and not only idlers but gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not’ (1Ti 5:13; 2Th 3:11). They are those who ‘meddle in other men’s matters’ (1Pe 4:15).
‘They go down into the chambers of the belly.’ Such slanders and innuendoes are dangerous, for they are only too often swallowed whole, and then absorbed totally. And the consequence is that ‘they split up bosom friends’ (Pro 16:28). Solomon warns us to keep away from such slanderers. ‘He who goes about gossiping reveals secrets, therefore do not associate with one who speaks foolishly’ (Pro 20:19). In contrast, ‘he who keeps his mouth and his tongue, keeps himself out of trouble’ (Pro 21:23).
Pro 18:9
‘He also who is slack in his work,
Is brother to him who is a destroyer.’
And the one who is slack in his speech also tends to be slack in his work. (Note how the ‘also’ combines the two proverbs). The busy man has no time for whispering and slandering. And here Solomon describes the one who is slack in his work as ‘brother to him who is a destroyer’. Whilst that would be an accurate description of the whisperer, for he destroys lives and reputations, that is probably not what Solomon means. He is referring rather to the importance of building up the community’s grain supply. By being indolent the fool does not work hard on his land, and it therefore produces very little except thorns and nettles (see the vivid description in Pro 24:30-31). And by doing this he is doing what those who invade the land and steal or destroy the crops also do. He is diminishing the supply of food that is available for the community. Compare for such invasions Jdg 6:3-5.
Paul again refers to such people when he says, ‘keep away from any brother who is living in idleness, if anyone will not work let him not eat’ (2Th 3:6; 2Th 3:10)..
So the fool undermines the community in two ways, by slander and rumour, and by laziness. That is why he can be likened to an enemy of his people (‘the destroyer’).
Pro 18:10
‘The name of YHWH is a strong tower,
The righteous runs into it, and is set on high.’
The mention of ‘the destroyer’ leads into this next proverb which likens YHWH to a fortified tower into which the righteous can run and be ‘set on high’, out of harm’s way. There they can find refuge both from the slanders and innuendoes of the fool, and from the depredations of the destroyer. For His people He provides shelter from all that can assail them.
The fact that the righteous ‘runs into it’ is probably intended as a contrast to the indolent fool. The righteous are not slack in their behaviour, but move with alacrity. It may also indicate that they were busy out in their fields when the destroyer came. Fortified towers were scattered throughout the land, available as places in which people could take shelter in such circumstances.
The Name of YHWH refers to His very Being and nature. To shelter in His Name is to shelter in Him, and Who and What He is.
Pro 18:11
‘The rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
And as a high wall in his own imagination.’
In contrast the rich fool takes shelter in his wealth. He sees it as providing him with a fortified city which will protect him, and as a high wall behind which he will be safe. He does not see himself as needing YHWH. But his high wall is a delusion, and his trust is folly. For whilst wealth can protect him against many of life’s problems, it cannot protect him from calamity when it comes. Nor can it protect him from the judgment of YHWH. He is not as secure as he thinks.
Note that those mentioned in Pro 18:10-11 have all shown faith. Those in Pro 18:10 have trusted in the unseen but very real and powerful Lord of the Universe. And they will not be disappointed. The rich man has trusted in his earthly, visible wealth, and it is that which will prove illusory.
Pro 18:12
‘Before destruction the heart of man is haughty (literally ‘high’),
And before honour goes humility.’
The coming of the destroyer was mentioned in Pro 18:9. The ‘setting on high’ of God’s true people, providing safety from the destroyer (no matter what form he takes) for those humble enough to seek Him was mentioned in Pro 18:10. The vain attempt of the proud rich fool to protect himself by his wealth was mentioned in Pro 18:11. Now the destruction comes. And it comes on the proud and haughty (compare Pro 16:18). Thus this verse has in mind the humble who seek refuge in YHWH, and the proud who rely on their own riches.
Pride and haughtiness was one of the attributes of the ‘worthless man’ (Pro 6:17 a). It regularly signifies those who imagine that they can do without God (as the rich fool had). The proud see themselves as superior to their fellowmen, and are causers of division in society. They think that they can behave as they like (compare Pro 6:12-19) and that they are almost untouchable. But in the day when YHWH acts in judgment it will be against ‘all that is proud and lofty, all that is lifted up and high’ (Isa 2:12). In that day ‘the haughty looks of man will be brought low, and the pride of men will be humbled, and YHWH alone will be exalted in that day’ (Isa 2:11). He will be exalted along with the humble whom He has set on high, whom He will then honour.
So in contrast are the humble. They are those who humble themselves before God, and are therefore humble in heart because they have seen themselves as they really are. They are His true worshippers, and it is they whom God will finally honour. As God (as the High and Lofty One Who inhabits Eternity) made plain, ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, even with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite’ (Isa 57:15). That is why Jesus said, ‘blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingly Rule of Heaven’ and ‘blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth’ (Mat 5:3; Mat 5:5). It is the humble who will finally be honoured.
In the Hebrew there is a play on words in Pro 18:10-12. The righteous who humbly trust in YHWH are ‘set on high’ (Pro 18:10); the rich man, hiding behind his illusory ‘high’ wall (Pro 18:11), will be brought low; here in Pro 18:12 it is the haughty man who is ‘high’ (we would say he is ‘high in the instep’) who will experience destruction.
Pro 18:13
‘He who gives answer before he hears,
It is folly and shame to him.
The subsection ends with a warning that we should not say anything, or believe anything, until we are sure of the facts. It is a folly and shame to respond to something before we have learned the truth. But that is exactly what the whisperer of Pro 18:8 does. He passes on half truths, or downright lies, because they are more salacious. But it is an evidence of his folly, and something which brings great shame on him. And it is what the fool does when listening to the wisdom of the wise. He cannot wait until he has heard the truth, and so he constantly interrupts and argues, without having the full facts. This is one reason why, even if he went to the wise with a payment in his hand, he would learn nothing (Pro 17:16).
In a sense it was also true of the rich man of Pro 18:11. He had become convinced that his wealth would protect him from anything, but it was all illusion. If only he had waited until he had heard the truth he would not have been so foolish.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
v. 8. The words of a talebearer are as wounds,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Pro 18:8. The words, &c. The words of a rancorous person are like morsels greedily swallowed; they sink into the lower parts of the belly. Schultens, see his note. Houbigant renders it, The words of a talebearer are indeed smooth and soft; but they afterwards go down, &c.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Pro 18:8 The words of a talebearer [are] as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
Ver. 8. The words of a talebearer are as wounds. ] See Trapp on “ Pro 12:18 “ He that takes away a man’s good name kills him alive, and ruins him and his posterity; being herein worse than Cain, for he, in killing his brother, made him live for ever, and eternalised his name. Some read, “Are as the words of the wounded”: they seem to speak out of wounded, troubled hearts, and then their words go down into the belly – they go glib down, pass without the least questioning.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
talebearer = whisperer, or tattler.
are as wounds = are as dainty morsels: i.e. are greedily swallowed.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Pro 18:8
Pro 18:8
“The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts.”
“The words of a slanderer are like dainty morsels, swallowed and relished to the full. The sinful delight of becoming the eager listener to slanderous talk is condemned in this proverb.
Pro 18:8. This saying is carried twice in Proverbs (see Pro 26:22 also), probably for a needed emphasis. A whisperer is one who goes behind peoples backs in talking about them, saying things that are not in the best interests of the one being spoken about. The verse brings out the sad fact that people are willing to listen to such cowardly, wrong, ruinous talk (They are as dainty morsels). They are swallowed without question (they go down into the innermost parts of the belly).
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
words: Pro 12:18, Pro 16:28, Pro 26:20-22, Lev 19:16, Psa 52:2, Psa 64:3, Psa 64:4
talebearer: or, whisperer
as wounds: or, like as when men are wounded
innermost parts: Heb. chambers
Reciprocal: Deu 22:14 – General Jdg 16:18 – Come up 1Sa 24:9 – General Psa 120:4 – Sharp Pro 15:4 – a breach Pro 20:19 – that goeth Pro 26:22 – words Eze 22:9 – men that carry tales Eph 4:31 – evil speaking
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pro 18:8-9. The words of a tale-bearer Who privily slanders his neighbour; are as wounds Deeply wound the reputation, and afterward the heart, of the slandered person. They go down, &c. They wound mortally, piercing to the heart, which is often meant by the belly. He also that is slothful is brother, &c. They are alike: though they take different paths, yet both come to one end, even to extreme want and poverty.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
18:8 The words of a talebearer [are] as wounds, and they go down into the {f} innermost parts of the belly.
(f) They are soon believed and enter most deeply.