Proverbs 20:19
WEB
He who goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets; therefore don’t keep company with him who opens wide his lips.
BSB
He who reveals secrets is a constant gossip; avoid the one who babbles with his lips.
KJV
He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
H1540
v — denude, exile, reveal
Derivation: a primitive root;
to denude (especially in a disgraceful sense); by implication, to exile (captives being usually stripped); figuratively, to reveal
KJV: advertise, appear, bewray, bring, (carry, lead, go) captive (into captivity), depart, disclose, discover, exile, be gone, open, × plainly, publish, remove, reveal, × shamelessly, shew, × surely, tell, uncover.
vb — uncover
גָּלָה 189 vb. uncover, remove
Qal
1. uncover the ear of one, i.e. reveal to him
2. intr. remove, depart
3. go into exile
Niph.
1. refl.
a. uncover oneself (one’s nakedness)
b. discover or shew oneself
2. pass.
a. be uncovered (one’s nakedness)
b. be disclosed, discovered
3. be removed
Pi.
1. uncover
2. disclose, discover, lay bare
3. make known, shew, reveal
Pu. be uncovered
Hiph. carry away into exile, take into exile
Hoph. carried into exile
Hithp.
1. was uncovered (naked)
2. that his heart may reveal itself
H5475
n-m — session, company, intimacy, consultation, secret
Derivation: from 3245;
a session, i.e. company of persons (in close deliberation); by implication, intimacy, consultation, a secret
KJV: assembly, consel, inward, secret (counsel).
n.[m.] — council
סוֹד n.[m.] council, counsel
H1980
v — walk
Derivation: akin to 3212; a primitive root;
to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
KJV: (all) along, apace, behave (self), come, (on) continually, be conversant, depart, be eased, enter, exercise (self), follow, forth, forward, get, go (about, abroad, along, away, forward, on, out, up and down), greater, grow, be wont to haunt, lead, march, × more and more, move (self), needs, on, pass (away), be at the point, quite, run (along), send, speedily, spread, still, surely, tale-bearer, travel(-ler), walk (abroad, on, to and fro, up and down, to places), wander, wax, (way-) faring man, × be weak, whirl.
vb — go
הָלַךְ 1546 vb. go, come, walk
Qal Impf. usually (629 t.) as if from ילך
I. lit.
1. of persons
2. Also of animals, in similar meanings and combinations
3. in like manner of inanimate things
4. The inf. abs. is often used
a. as in other vbs., quite independently
b. to intensify meaning of finite form
c. most noteworthy is the joining of the Inf. abs.
(1). with a following Inf. abs. denoting a simutaneous action or process, and so emphasizing duration or continuance
(2). with a foll. vb. fin. c. ו consec. (rare)
(3). in cases where vb. fin. is foll. by Inf. abs. adj. denoting progress, advance
(4). twice, where vb. fin. is not הלך, but another vb. denoting motion
(5). quite by itself
(6). 13 t. the Inf. abs. = Imv. & is followed by Pf. consec.
d. akin to the use of Inf. abs. are some instances of Pt.
5. In combination with other verbal forms
II. Fig.; the most common uses follow; in most the origin in a literal meaning is evident:
1. pass away, die
2. live (‘walk’), in general
3. of moral and religious life
4. other fig. uses
Pi. (chiefly poet. and late)
1. walk in or with a throng
2. also of walking about = living
3. depart, go entirely away
4. fig. of mode of life, action, etc.
Hithp. walk, walk about, move to and fro
Hiph.
1. lead, bring
2. lead away
3. carry, bring
4. fig. of influence on character
5.
a. cause to walk, go
b. cause to flow, run
c. cause to depart, retire, go back
H7400
n-m — scandal-monger
Derivation: from 7402
a scandal-monger (as travelling about)
KJV: slander, carry tales, talebearer.
n.[m.] — slander
רָכִיל n.[m.] slander, > tale-bearer, informer
H6601
v — open, be, make, roomy, be, make, simple, delude
Derivation: a primitive root;
to open, i.e. be (causatively, make) roomy; usually figuratively (in a mental or moral sense) to be (causatively, make) simple or (in a sinister way) delude
KJV: allure, deceive, enlarge, entice, flatter, persuade, silly (one).
vb — be spacious
[פָּתָה] vb. be spacious, wide, open
Qal poss. one open as to lips
Hiph. may God make wide for Japhet (give him an extensive inheritance)
vb. denom — be simple
[פָּתָה] vb. denom. be simple
Qal
1. be open-minded (?), simple
2. be enticed, deceived
Niph. be deceived
Piel
1. persuade, woman, seduce, virgin; entice, husband; a man to sin
2. deceive
Pual
1. be persuaded
2. be deceived
H8193
n-f — lip, language, margin
Derivation: or (in dual and plural) שֶׂפֶת; probably from 5595 or 8192 through the idea of termination (compare 5490);
the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language; by analogy, a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.)
KJV: band, bank, binding, border, brim, brink, edge, language, lip, prating, (sea-)shore, side, speech, talk, (vain) words.
n.f — lip
שָׂפָה 176 n.f. lip, speech, edge
1. lip
2. language
3. edge: shore of sea; bank of river
H3808
adv — not, no
Derivation: or לוֹא; or לֹה; (Deuteronomy 3:11), a primitive particle;
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
KJV: × before, or else, ere, except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (× as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, surely, as truly as, of a truth, verily, for want, whether, without.
adv — not
לֹא or לוֹא adv. not
H6148
v — braid, intermix, traffic, give to be security
Derivation: a primitive root;
to braid, i.e. intermix; technically, to traffic (as if by barter); also or give to be security (as a kind of exchange)
KJV: engage, (inter-) meddle (with), mingle (self), mortgage, occupy, give pledges, be(-come, put in) surety, undertake.
vb — take on pledge
עָרַב vb. take on pledge, give in pledge, exchange
Qal
1. c. acc. pers. take on pledge, i.e. go surety for
2. give in pledge
3. exchange (in trade)
Hithp.
1. recipr. exchange pledges (make a bargain) with my lord
2.
a. have fellowship with
b. share in
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Verse 19
Proverbs 20:19
Two sorts of people are dangerous to be conversed with: - 1. Tale-bearers, though they are commonly flatterers, and by fair speeches insinuate themselves into men's acquaintance. Those are unprincipled people that go about carrying stories, that make mischief among neighbours and relations, that sow in the minds of people jealousies of their governors, of their ministers, and of one another, that reveal secrets which they are entrusted with or which by unfair means they come to the knowledge of, under pretence of guessing at men's thoughts and intentions, tell that of them which is really false. "Be not familiar with such; do not give them the hearing when they tell their tales and reveal secrets, for you may be sure that they will betray your secrets too and tell tales of you." 2. Flatterers, for they are commonly tale-bearers. If a man fawn upon you, compliment and commend you, suspect him to have some design upon you, and stand upon your guard; he would pick that out of you which will serve him to make a story of to somebody else to your prejudice; therefore meddle not with him that flatters with his lips. Those too dearly love, and too dearly buy, their own praise, that will put confidence in a man and trust him with a secret or business because he flatters them.