PRO 16

Proverbs 16:28

WEB

A perverse man stirs up strife. A whisperer separates close friends.

BSB

A perverse man spreads dissension, and a gossip divides close friends.

KJV

A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.

Matthew Henry

Verses 27–28

Proverbs 16:27–28

There are those that are not only vicious themselves, but spiteful and mischievous to others, and they are the worst of men; two sorts of such are here described: - 1. Such as envy a man the honour of his good name, and do all they can to blast that by calumnies and misrepresentations: They dig up evil; they take a great deal of pains to find out something or other on which to ground a slander, or which may give some colour to it. If none appear above ground, rather than want it they will dig for it, by diving into what is secret, or looking a great way back, or by evil suspicions and surmises, and forced innuendos. In the lips of a slanderer and backbiter there is as a fire, not only to brand his neighbour's reputation, to smoke and sully it, but as a burning fire to consume it. And how great a matter does a little of this fire kindle, and how hardly is it extinguished! Jam 3:5, Jam 3:6. 2. Such as envy a man the comfort of his friendship, and do all they can to break that, by suggesting that on both sides which will set those at variance that are most nearly related and have been long intimate, or at least cool and alienate their affections one from another: A froward man, that cannot find in his heart to love any body but himself, is vexed to see others live in love, and therefore makes it is his business to sow strife, by giving men base characters one of another, telling lies, and carrying ill-natured stories between chief friends, so as to separate them one from another, and make them angry at or at least suspicious of one another. Those are bad men, and bad women too, that do such ill offices; they are doing the devil's work, and his will their wages be.

Cross-references: Jas 3:5 · Jas 3:6

Hebrew interlinear

H376

אִישׁʼîysh/eesh/

n-m — man

Derivation: contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant);

a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)

KJV: also, another, any (man), a certain, champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), none, one, people, person, steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy. Compare 802.

אִישׁ

n.m — man

אִישׁ 2166 n.m. man (= vir)

H8419

תַּהְפֻּכָהtahpukâh/tah-poo-kaw'/

n-f — perversity, fraud

Derivation: from 2015;

a perversity or fraud

KJV: (very) froward(-ness, thing), perverse thing.

תַּהְפֻּכָה

n.f — perversity

[תַּהְפֻּכָה] n.f. perversity, perverse thing

H7971

שָׁלַחshâlach/shaw-lakh'/

v — send

Derivation: a primitive root;

to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)

KJV: × any wise, appoint, bring (on the way), cast (away, out), conduct, × earnestly, forsake, give (up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose), push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send (away, forth, out), set, shoot (forth, out), sow, spread, stretch forth (out).

שָׁלַח

vb — send

שָׁלַח 814 vb. send

Qal

1. send: human subj.

2. send: subj. י׳ (God)

3. stretch out, esp. acc. hand

4. rarely send away: human subj.

5. let loose

Niph. letters were sent

Pi.

1. send off, away, human subj.

2.

a. send away, subj. י׳

b. give over

c. cast out

d. send out, forth

3. let go, set free

4. shoot forth branches

5. let down

6. shoot

7. Phrases

Pu. be sent off (started on journey); be put away, divorced, of wife; be impelled(?)

Hiph. and I (י׳) will send

H4066

מָדוֹןmâdôwn/maw-dohn'/

n-m — contest, quarrel

Derivation: from 1777;

a contest or quarrel

KJV: brawling, contention(-ous), discord, strife. Compare 4079, 4090.

מָדוֹן

n.m — strife

מָדוֹן n.m. strife, contention

1. strife, contention

2. object of contention

H5372

נִרְגָּןnirgân/neer-gawn'/

v — slanderer

Derivation: from an unused root meaning to roll to pieces;

a slanderer

KJV: talebearer, whisperer.

רָגַן

vb — murmur

רָגַן vb. murmur, whisper

1. murmur (rebelliously)

Qal murmurers;

Niph. and they murmured in their tents

2. whisper (maliciously), backbite, slander:

Niph. backbiter

H6504

פָּרַדpârad/paw-rad'/

v — break through, spread, separate

Derivation: a primitive root;

to break through, i.e. spread or separate (oneself)

KJV: disperse, divide, be out of joint, part, scatter (abroad), separate (self), sever self, stretch, sunder.

פָּרַד

vb — divide

[פָּרַד] vb. divide

Qal Pt. pass. divided

Niph.

1. divide, separate (intrans.)

2. be divided, separated

Pi. make a separation

Pu. Pt. divided

Hiph.

1. divide, separate

2. make a division, separation, between

Hithp. be divided, separated, from each other

H441

אַלּוּףʼallûwph/al-loof'/

a-m — familiar, friend, gentle, bullock, cow, chieftain

Derivation: or (shortened) אַלֻּף; from 502;

familiar; a friend, also gentle; hence, a bullock (as being tame; applied, although masculine, to a cow); and so, a chieftain (as notable, like neat cattle)

KJV: captain, duke, (chief) friend, governor, guide, ox.

אַלּוּף

adj — tame

אַלּוּף adj. tame

1. tame, docile

2. n.m. friend, intimate

3. i.q.

אַלּוּף

n.m — chief

אַלּוּף n.m. chief, chiliarch

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