Proverbs 26:18-22

26:18 Like a madman ¹  who shoots

firebrands and deadly arrows, ² 

26:19 so is a person ³  who deceives his neighbor,

and says, “Was I not only joking?” ⁴ 

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

and where there is no gossip, ⁵  contention ceases. ⁶ 

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

so is a contentious person ⁷  to kindle strife. ⁸ 

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

they go down into a person’s innermost being. ⁹ 

[26:18]  ¹ tn The term כְּמִתְלַהְלֵהַּ (kÿmitlahleah) is the Hitpalpel participle of the quadriliteral verbal root לִהְלֵהַּ (lihleah), which means “to amaze; to startle” (BDB 529 s.v.). Here it functions as a substantive – the object of the preposition – and has the meaning of “madman” (cf. NRSV “maniac”). This is the only occurrence of the term.

[26:18]  ² tn Heb “arrows and death” (so KJV, NASB). This expression can be understood as a nominal hendiadys: “deadly arrows” (so NAB, NIV).

[26:19]  ³ tn Heb “man.”

[26:19]  ⁴ sn The subject of this proverb is not simply a deceiver, but one who does so out of jest, or at least who claims he was joking afterward. The participle מְשַׂחֵק has the idea of “laughing, mocking”; in this context it might convey the idea of “kidding” or “joking.” The point is that such practical joking is immature and often dangerous. To the foolish deceiver it might all seem like fun, like sport; but it can destroy people. One cannot trifle with dangerous weapons, or put them in irresponsible hands; likewise one cannot trifle with human relationships. W. G. Plaut notes, “The only worthwhile humor is that which laughs with, not at others” (Proverbs, 270).

[26:20]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ tn Heb “becomes silent.”

[26:21]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ 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]  ⁹ tn The proverb is essentially the same as 18:8; it observes how appealing gossip is.