Proverbs 12:18

12:18 Speaking recklessly ¹  is like the thrusts of a sword,

but the words ²  of the wise bring ³  healing. ⁴ 

Proverbs 16:28

16:28 A perverse person ⁵  spreads dissension,

and a gossip separates the closest friends. ⁶ 

Proverbs 26:20-22

26:20 Where there is no wood, a fire goes out,

and where there is no gossip, ⁷  contention ceases. ⁸ 

26:21 Like charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire,

so is a contentious person ⁹  to kindle strife. ¹⁰ 

26:22 The words of a gossip are like delicious morsels;

they go down into a person’s innermost being. ¹¹ 

Leviticus 19:16

19:16 You must not go about as a slanderer among your people. ¹²  You must not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is at stake. ¹³  I am the Lord.

Psalms 52:2

52:2 Your tongue carries out your destructive plans; ¹⁴ 

it is as effective as a sharp razor, O deceiver. ¹⁵ 

Psalms 64:3-4

64:3 They ¹⁶  sharpen their tongues like a sword;

they aim their arrow, a slanderous charge, ¹⁷ 

64:4 in order to shoot down the innocent ¹⁸  in secluded places.

They shoot at him suddenly and are unafraid of retaliation. ¹⁹ 

[12:18]  ¹ tn The term בּוֹטֶה (boteh) means “to speak rashly [or, thoughtlessly]” (e.g., Lev 5:4; Num 30:7).

[12:18]  ² tn Heb “the tongue” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV). The term לָשׁוֹן (lashon, “tongue”) functions as a metonymy of cause for what is said.

[12:18]  ³ tn The term “brings” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity and smoothness.

[12:18]  ⁴ sn Healing is a metonymy of effect. Healing words are the opposite of the cutting, irresponsible words. What the wise say is faithful and true, gentle and kind, uplifting and encouraging; so their words bring healing.

[16:28]  ⁵ tn Heb “a man of perverse things”; NAB “an intriguer.” This refers to someone who destroys lives. The parallelism suggests that he is a “slanderer” or “gossip” – one who whispers and murmurs (18:8; 26:20, 22).

[16:28]  ⁶ tn The term אַלּוּף (’aluf) refers to a “friend” or “an intimate associate.” The word has other possible translations, including “tame” or “docile” when used of animals. Rashi, a Jewish scholar who lived a.d. 1040-1105, took it in the later sense of “prince,” saying that such speech alienates the Prince, namely God. But that is a forced interpretation of the line.

[26:20]  ⁷ sn Gossip (that is, the one who goes around whispering and slandering) fuels contention just as wood fuels a fire. The point of the proverb is to prevent contention – if one takes away the cause, contention will cease (e.g., 18:8).

[26:20]  ⁸ tn Heb “becomes silent.”

[26:21]  ⁹ sn Heb “a man of contentions”; NCV, NRSV, NLT “a quarrelsome person.” The expression focuses on the person who is contentious by nature. His quarreling is like piling fuel on a fire that would otherwise go out. This kind of person not only starts strife, but keeps it going.

[26:21]  ¹⁰ tn The Pilpel infinitive construct לְחַרְחַר (lÿkharkhar) from חָרַר (kharar, “to be hot; to be scorched; to burn”) means “to kindle; to cause to flare up.”

[26:22]  ¹¹ tn The proverb is essentially the same as 18:8; it observes how appealing gossip is.

[19:16]  ¹² tn The term רָכִיל (rakhil) is traditionally rendered “slanderer” here (so NASB, NIV, NRSV; see also J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 304, 316), but the exact meaning is uncertain (see the discussion in B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 129). It is sometimes related to I רָכַל (“to go about as a trader [or “merchant”]”; BDB 940 s.v. רָכַל), and taken to refer to cutthroat business dealings, but there may be a II רָכַל, the meaning of which is dubious (HALOT 1237 s.v. II *רכל). Some would render it “to go about as a spy.”

[19:16]  ¹³ tn Heb “You shall not stand on the blood of your neighbor.” This part of the verse is also difficult to interpret. The rendering here suggests that one will not allow a neighbor to be victimized, whether in court (cf. v. 15) or in any other situation (see the discussion in B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 129).

[52:2]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “destruction your tongue devises.”

[52:2]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “like a sharpened razor, doer of deceit.” The masculine participle עָשָׂה (’asah) is understood as a substantival vocative, addressed to the powerful man.

[64:3]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “who.” A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[64:3]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “a bitter word.”

[64:4]  ¹⁸ tn The psalmist uses the singular because he is referring to himself here as representative of a larger group.

[64:4]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “and are unafraid.” The words “of retaliation” are supplied in the translation for clarification.