Proverbs 25:8-9

25:8 Do not go out hastily to litigation, ¹ 

or ²  what will you do afterward

when your neighbor puts you to shame?

25:9 When you argue a case ³  with your neighbor,

do not reveal the secret of another person, ⁴ 

Matthew 5:23-26

5:23 So then, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 5:24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother and then come and present your gift. 5:25 Reach agreement ⁵  quickly with your accuser while on the way to court, ⁶  or he ⁷  may hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the warden, and you will be thrown into prison. 5:26 I tell you the truth, ⁸  you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny! ⁹ 

¹ tn Heb “do not go out hastily to strive”; the verb “to strive” means dispute in the legal context. The last clause of v. 7, “what your eyes have seen,” does fit very well with the initial clause of v. 8. It would then say: What you see, do not take hastily to court, but if the case was not valid, he would end up in disgrace.

² tn The clause begins with פֶּן (pen, “lest”) which seems a bit out of place in this line. C. H. Toy suggests changing it to כִּי (ki, “for”) to make a better connection, instead of supplying an ellipsis: “lest it be said what…” (Proverbs [ICC], 461).

³ tn The verse begins with the direct object רִיבְךָ (ribkha, “your case”) followed by the imperative from the same root, רִיב (riv, “argue”). It is paralleled by the negated Piel jussive. The construction of the clauses indicates that the first colon is foundational to the second: “Argue…but do not reveal,” or better, “When you argue…do not reveal.”

⁴ sn The concern is that in arguing with one person a secret about another might be divulged, perhaps deliberately in an attempt to clear oneself. The point then is about damaging a friendship by involving the friend without necessity or warrant in someone else’s quarrel.

⁵ tn Grk “Make friends.”

⁶ tn The words “to court” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

⁷ tn Grk “the accuser.”

⁸ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

⁹ tn Here the English word “penny” is used as opposed to the parallel in Luke 12:59 where “cent” appears since the Greek word there is different and refers to a different but similar coin.