Proverbs 20:19

He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips. A TALEBEARER - Hebrew, raakiyl (H7400); a detractor; literally, a trafficker, who 'goeth about' offering his wares of scandal, and 'revealing secrets,' to the prejudice of others. MEDDLE NOT WITH HIM THAT FLATTERETH WITH HIS LIPS - to elicit from thee what he may afterward repeat to others. Though there is need of "counsel" (Proverbs 20:19), yet it is not safe to ask it from everyone, and to tell secrets to everyone; for many go about as "talebearers," 'revealing secrets' which they have elicited by 'flattery.'...

FLATTERETH - literally, “The man who opens his lips,” who has no reticence; such a man, with or without intending it, does the work of a talebearer....

EXPOSITION PROVERBS 20:1 WINE IS A MOCKER; or, scorner, the word (_luts_) being taken up from the last chapter. The liquor is, as it were, personified, as doing what men do under its influence. Thus inebriated persons scoff at what is holy, reject reproof, ridicule all that is serious. Septuagint, Ἀκόλαστον οἶνος, "Wine is an undisciplined thing;" Vulgate, _Luxuriosa res, vinum. _STRONG DRINK IS RAGING; a brawler, Revised Version. _Shekar, _σίκερα (Luke 1:15), is most frequently employed of any intoxicating drink not made from grapes, _e.g. _palm wine, mead, etc. The inordinate use of this renders men noisy and boisterous, no longer masters of themselves or restrained by the laws of morality or decency. Septu

HE THAT GOETH ABOUT [AS] A TALEBEARER REVEALETH SECRETS,.... Or, "he that revealeth secrets goeth about as a talebearer"; a man that has really got the secrets of others out of them respecting themselves and families, and the affairs of them, or however pretends he master of them; goes about telling his tales from house to house, to the great prejudice of those whose secrets he is entrusted with, or pretends to be; and to the great prejudice of those to whom he tells them, as well as to his own; this is contrary to the law of Moses, and the rules of Christianity, Leviticus 19:16; THEREFORE MEDDLE NOT WITH HIM THAT FLATTERETH WITH HIS LIPS; or "mingle not with him" g; do not associate with him, do not keep him company, have nothing to say to him or do with him; for when he flatters you, and highly praises and extols you, he has a design upon you to get what he can out

CHAPTER 20 PROVERBS AS TO PERSONAL CONDUCT Proverbs of warning and instructions as to personal conduct are found mostly in this chapter; a number of them are of special interest if applied to Solomon. The first one is concerning wine and strong drink. As the use of wine among the people of Israel was legitimate the warning is against intemperance Deuteronomy 14:26). The Bible gives many illustrations of the truth of this proverb-warning. We may think of Noah, Lot, Nabal, Ben-hadad, Belshazzar and others. From all the good things we select the following. In Proverbs 20:3 is instruction which makes for peace. It is the fool who meddles and thus produces strife, but it is an honor for man to cease from strife. In...

PROVERBS 20. We have still further traces in Proverbs 20:9; Proverbs 20:24 of the sceptical spirit and the obstinate questionings of self characteristic of the later Greek period of Jewish thought. PROVERBS 20:6 A. RV is strained and the Heb. is difficult. Read (_cf._ Syr. and Lat.) Many a man is called kind. Proverbs 20:8. winnoweth (_mg._) is more literal than RV, and conveys better the idea of personal scrutiny (_cf._ the ideal king in Psalms 72 and Isaiah 11). Proverbs 20:9. For the growi

MEDDLE. mingle, mix thyself up. Not the same word as in Proverbs 20:3. LIPS. Put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Cause) for the flattery spoken by them....

_flattereth_with] Rather, OPENETH WIDE, R.V.; dilatat labia sua, Vulg.; has his mouth always open as a tattling gossip. Comp. the prohibition of the Law, Leviticus 19:16, and St Paul's rebuke of "tattlers" and "busybodies," 1 Timothy 5:13....

TEXT Proverbs 20:11-20 11. Even a child maketh himself known by his doings, Whether his work be pure, and whether it be right. 12. The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, Jehovah hath made even both of them. 13. Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; Open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread. 14. It is bad, it is bad, saith the buyer; But when he is gone his way, then he boasteth. 15. There is gold, and abundance of rubies; But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel. 16. Take his garment that is surety for a stranger; And hold him in pledge that is surety for foreigners. 17. Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man; But afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel. 18. Every purpose is established by counsel; And by wi

1. RAGING] RV 'a brawler.' IS deceived] RM 'reeleth.' It makes a man sneer, quarrel and reel about....