Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 25:9

Debate thy cause with thy neighbor [himself]; and discover not a secret to another:

9. a secret to] Rather, the secret of, A.V. marg. and R.V.

The warning would seem to be against being betrayed by a litigious spirit into dishonourable conduct, and incurring the indelible shame of betraying confidence through eagerness to win your suit.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

An anticipation of the highest standard of ethical refinement Mat 18:15, but with a difference. Here the motive is prudential, the risk of shame, the fear of the irretrievable infamy of the betrayer of secrets. In the teaching of Christ the precept rests upon the divine authority and the perfect example.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 9. Debate thy cause with thy neighbour] Take the advice of friends. Let both sides attend to their counsels; but do not tell the secret of thy business to any. After squandering your money away upon lawyers, both they and the judge will at last leave it to be settled by twelve of your fellow citizens! O the folly of going to law! O the blindness of men, and the rapacity of unprincipled lawyers!

On this subject I cannot but give the following extract from Sir John Hawkins’s Life of Dr. Johnson, which he quotes from Mr. Selwin, of London: “A man who deliberates about going to law should have,

1. A good cause;

2. A good purse;

3. A good skilful attorney;

4. Good evidence;

5. Good able counsel;

6. A good upright judge;

7. A good intelligent jury; and with all these on his side, if he have not,

8. Good luck, it is odds but he miscarries in his suit.” O the glorious uncertainty of the law!

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; if thou hast any quarrel with him, first try to compose it by private discourse with him. Compare Mat 5:25; 18:15; Luk 12:58.

Discover not a secret; any secret. Let no heat of contention provoke thee to divulge any of his secret counsels committed to thy trust, or to reproach him with any of his secret faults, as is usual in lawsuits and other contentions. Or, the secret; any secret difference between thee and him, which therefore is fittest to be ended secretly between you, and not to be imparted to any other.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

9, 10. (Compare Mt5:25, Margin).

secretthat is, of youropponent, for his disadvantage, and so you be disgraced, not havingdiscussed your difficulties with him.

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

Debate thy cause with thy neighbour [himself],…. Between thee and him alone; lay the matter before him, and hear what he has to say for himself, by which you will better judge of the nature of the cause; try to compromise things, and make up the difference between you, which is much better than to commence a lawsuit; at least such a step should be taken first; see Mt 5:25;

and discover not a secret to another; if the thing in controversy is a secret, do not acquaint another person with it; keep it among yourselves, if the affair can be made up without bringing it into a court of judicature; besides, by communicating it to others, you may have bad counsel given, and be led to take indirect methods: or, “the secret of another”, or, “another secret do not discover” b; if you know anything scandalous and reproachful of your neighbour and his family, you are contending with, which does not concern the cause in hand, do not divulge it, as persons from a spirit of revenge are apt to do, when they are quarrelling or litigating a point with each other.

b “secretum alterius”, Pagninus, Montanus; “arcanum alterius”, Tigurine version, Junius Tremellius, Piscator, Mercerus, Michaelis, Schultens, so Cocceius, Gejerus “arcanum aliud”, Munster; “alienum”, Syriac version.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(9) Debate thy cause with thy neighbour.As our Lord says, If thy brother trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone (Mat. 18:15). Or it may mean, If you must go to law with another, do not drag others into the matter by disclosing their secrets in order to help your cause.

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

9, 10. Debate thy cause neighbour Reason with him plead with him.

Discover not a secret Do not suffer any angry feeling against thy neighbour, growing out of a contest, to induce thee to take vengeance on him by causelessly revealing a secret to his injury. This would be dishonourable, and get thee a bad name. “Make no third person a party to difficulties that can be settled between thee and him.” Conant. Comp. Mat 18:15.

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

Pro 25:9 Debate thy cause with thy neighbour [himself]; and discover not a secret to another:

Ver. 9. Debate thy cause with thy neighbour, &c. ] What shall I do then, may some say, if I may not right myself by law? You may, saith he, so you do it deliberately, and have first privately debated the cause out of desire of agreement, and moved for a compromise. See Mat 18:15 .

And discover not the secret of another. ] Merely to be revenged on him for some supposed injury. There are those who in their rage care not what they disclose to the prejudice of another. Charity chargeth the contrary. 1Co 13:1-13 It claps a plaster on the sore, and then covers it with her hand, as surgeons use to do, that the world may be never the wiser.

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

with thy neighbour. Illustrations: Abraham (Gen 13:8; Gen 21:25-32);

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

with: Mat 18:5-17

a secret to another: or, the secret of another, Pro 11:13, Pro 20:19

Reciprocal: Gen 9:22 – told Gen 21:25 – reproved Jos 22:13 – Phinehas Jdg 11:12 – sent messengers 2Sa 13:22 – spake Pro 3:30 – General Mat 5:24 – there Mat 18:15 – go Luk 12:58 – thou goest

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge