Proverbs 18:8

The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. THE WORDS OF A TALEBEARER ARE AS WOUNDS - `piercing' like a 'sword,' (Proverbs 12:18; cf. margin). [The participle in the Hebrew stands for a noun, from laaham (H3859), by metathesis for haalam, to wound]. Or, 'as blandishments' (from the Hebrew, laham, to blandish). Maurer, 'As delicate morsels,' from a root laham, 'eagerly to swallow.' (Compare Psalms 55:21.) They insinuate themselves under a smooth appearance, but - "they go down into the innermost parts of the belly". THEY GO DOWN INTO THE INNERMOST PARTS OF THE BELLY. The talebearer's story wounds at onc...

Verse Proverbs 18:8. _THE WORDS OF A TALE-BEARER_] דברי נרגן _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 כמתלהמים _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 gingerb

The first verse speaks of the immediate, the others of the remote, results of the “fool’s” temper. First, “contention,” then “strokes” or blows, then “destruction,” and last, “wounds.” Proverbs 18:8 WOUNDS - The word so rendered occurs here and in Proverbs 26:22 only. Others render it “dainties,” and take the verse to describe the avidity with which people swallow in tales of scandal. They find their way to the innermost recesses of man’s nature....

EXPOSITION PROVERBS 18:1 This is a difficult verse, and has obtained various interpretations. The Authorized Version gives, THROUGH DESIRE A MAN, HAVING SEPARATED HIMSELF, SEEKETH AND INTERMEDDLETH WITH ALL WISDOM; _i.e. _a man who has an earnest desire for self-improvement will hold himself aloof from worldly entanglements, and, occupying himself wholly in this pursuit, will become conversant with all wisdom. This gives good sense, and offers a contrast to the fool in Proverbs 18:2, who "hath no delight in understanding." But the Hebrew does not rightly bear this interpretation. Its conciseness occasions ambiguity. Literally, _For his desire a man who separates himself seeks_;_ in _(or _against_) all wisdom he mingles

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 sh...

CHAPTER 18 PROVERBS OF PERSONAL INSTRUCTION There is first a warning against separation produced by desire, that is for gratification and pleasure, and not for a righteous purpose. Such a one becomes an enemy of true wisdom and one who intermeddleth with all wisdom. This proverb finds a New Testament illustration in Alexander the coppersmith, as well as Hymenaeus and Philetus, and Diotrephes of whom John writes in his epistle. A fool foams out his own folly. This proverb in Proverbs 18:2 is illustrated by many of the critics of the Bible. They have no delight in true understanding but their own hearts are laid bare by their mad oppositions to God's Holy Word. The fool's mouth, his lips, the talebearer (whisperer), and the slothful are the themes of the proverbs in Proverbs 18:6. Then we read

PROVERBS 18:1. MT yields no satisfactory sense. The LXX reads The man who wishes to separate from his friends seeks pretexts, but is always liable to reproach. Frankenberg renders the alienated friend seeks an occasion (emending the word for - desire-'), seeks by all means to stir up strife. Proverbs 18:4. RV translates correctly, but the sense is strange. Read, perhaps, The words of the wise are deep waters, a flowing brook, a fountain of life, but this is conjecture rather than emendation. Proverbs 18:5. _cf._ Proverbs 17:26, which may have originally followed this verse....

TALEBEARER. whisperer, or tattler. ARE AS WOUNDS. are as dainty morsels: i.e. are greedily swallowed....

_talebearer_ Rather, WHISPERER, R.V., secret calumniator, as in Proverbs 16:28; bilinguis, Vulg. _wounds_ Rather, DAINTY MORSELS, R.V.; so greedily do men swallow down and retain them. This proverb occurs again, Proverbs 26:22....

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....