What is the meaning of Proverbs 11:13? A gossip • Scripture paints the gossip as someone who misuses words. Proverbs 16:28 warns, “A perverse man spreads dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.” • Gossip thrives on hearsay and half-truths, ignoring the ninth commandment’s call not to bear false witness (Exodus 20:16). • 1 Timothy 5:13 highlights the danger: “They get into the habit of being idle… gossips and busybodies, talking about things they should not.” Idle talk almost always drifts into sin. • Behind the habit sits a heart problem—self-promotion at another’s expense (James 3:9-10). reveals a secret • Proverbs 20:19 echoes our verse: “He who reveals secrets is a gossip; avoid the one who talks too much.” Trust is shattered when private matters become public fodder. • James 3:5-6 likens the tongue to a small fire that sets whole forests ablaze. A single whispered secret can torch reputations, friendships, even churches. • When secrets come out, motives matter. Gossip does not share to help; it shares to feel important or to wound (Psalm 52:2-4). but a trustworthy person • Scripture contrasts the unfaithful talker with one who proves reliable. Luke 16:10 reminds us, “Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much.” • Character is the issue: a faithful friend “loves at all times” (Proverbs 17:17) and “swears to his own hurt and does not change” (Psalm 15:4). • Such people mirror Christ, “the faithful witness” (Revelation 1:5), choosing integrity over impulse. keeps a confidence • Proverbs 25:9-10 urges, “Debate your case with your neighbor, but do not betray another man’s confidence.” Protecting private information is an act of love. • Matthew 18:15 sets the pattern: address faults privately first—no broadcasting. • Practical steps: – Pause before speaking; pray Psalm 141:3, “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth.” – Redirect gossipers: “Have you talked with them directly?” – Store confidences as sacred trusts, reflecting God, who “remembers their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12). summary Proverbs 11:13 draws a clear line: careless tongues wound, faithful tongues heal. Gossip publicizes what should stay private; a trustworthy person guards secrets, embodying Christlike love. Choose the second path—silence that shields rather than speech that scars. |
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