Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Flattereth - literally, “The man who opens his lips,” who has no reticence; such a man, with or without intending it, does the work of a talebearer.

The Biblical Illustrator

Proverbs 20:19

Meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.

On keeping away people we don’t want

Not all insects are welcome visitors to plants; there are unbidden guests who do harm. To their visits there are often obstacles. Stiff hairs, impassably slippery or viscid stems, moats in which the intruders drown, and other structural peculiarities, whose origin may have had no reference to insects, often justify themselves by saving the plant. Even more interesting, however, is the preservation of some acacias and other shrubs by a bodyguard of ants, which, innocent themselves, ward off the attacks of the deadly leaf-cutters. In some cases the bodyguard has become almost hereditarily accustomed to the plants, and the plants to them, for they are found in constant companionship, and the plants exhibit structures which look almost as if they had been made as shelters for the ants. On some of our European trees similar little homes or domatia constantly occur, and shelter small insects, which do no harm to the trees, but cleanse them from injurious fungi. (J. Arthur Thomson, M. A.)

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible

"He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets; Therefore company not with him that openeth wide his lips."

Similar proverbs are Proverbs 11:13 and Proverbs 18:8. See comments there. The meaning here is simple enough. "The talebearer will not keep confidences, so do not associate with him."[14]

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets,.... Or, "he that revealeth secrets goeth about as a talebearer"; a man that has really got the secrets of others out of them respecting themselves and families, and the affairs of them, or however pretends he master of them; goes about telling his tales from house to house, to the great prejudice of those whose secrets he is entrusted with, or pretends to be; and to the great prejudice of those to whom he tells them, as well as to his own; this is contrary to the law of Moses, and the rules of Christianity, Leviticus 19:16;

therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips; or "mingle not with him"^F7לא תתערב "non miscebis te", Pagninus, Montanus; "ne misceas te", Baynus, Mercerus; "ne admisceto te", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "ne commiscearis", Michaelis; "ne admisceas te", Schultens. ; do not associate with him, do not keep him company, have nothing to say to him or do with him; for when he flatters you, and highly praises and extols you, he has a design upon you to get what he can out of you, in order to expose you elsewhere; therefore suspect him, be upon your guard, shun him and avoid him. It may be applied to false teachers, and their deceptions with good words and fair speeches; the word used signifies to deceive with the lips; see Romans 16:18; and well agrees with the parasites of Rome, Revelation 18:23.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Those who love to tell news will hardly keep secrets.

flattereth  …  lips — (compare Margin; Proverbs 1:10).

meddle  …  him — literally, “join,” or “associate with.”

Keil & Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary

19 He that goeth out gossiping revealeth a secret;

And the babbler have nothing to do.

Luther otherwise (like Hitzig) -

Be not complicated with him who revealeth a secret,

And with the slanderer, and with the false (better: loquacious) mouth,

so that ל and the warning apply to the threefold description, a rendering which Kimchi also, and Immanuel, and others at least suggest. But in connection with Proverbs 11:13, the first line has the force of a judicium , which includes the warning to entrust nothing to a babbler which ought to be kept silent. Write גּולה סּוד, as found in Codd. and old Edd., with Munach on the penultima, on which the tone is thrown back, and Dagesh to ס, after the rule of the דחיק (Gesen. §20, 2a), altogether like קונה לב, Proverbs 15:32. 19b the Venet . translates after the first meaning of the word by Kimchi, τῷ ἀπαταιῶνι τοῖς χείλεσι, to him who slanders and befools, for it thus improves Theodotion's τῷ ἀπατῶντι τὰ χείλη αὐτοῦ . But פּתה means, Job 5:2 - cf. Hosea 7:11 - not him who befools another, but him who is befooled, is slandered, by another (Aben Ezra: שׁיפתוהו אחרים ), with which שׂפתיו here does not agree. But now he who is easily befooled is called פּתה, as being open to influence (susceptible), patens ; and if this particip. is used, as here, transitively, and, on account of the object שׂפתיו standing near cannot possibly be equivalent to מפתּה, the usage of the language also just noticed is against it, then it means patefaciens or dilatans (cf. הפתּה, Genesis 9:27, Targ. אפתּי = הרחיב ), and places itself as synon. to פשׂק, Proverbs 13:3; thus one is called who does not close his mouth, who cannot hold his mouth, who always idly babbles, and is therefore, because he can keep nothing to himself, a dangerous companion. The Complut. rightly translates: μετὰ πλατύνοντος τὰ ἑαυτοῦ μὴ μίχθητι χείλη .

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

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.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

Proverbs 20:19 He that goeth about [as] a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.

Ver. 9. He that goeth about as a talebearer.] Therefore make not such of thy counsel: for if they can give counsel, yet they can keep none. {See Trapp on "Proverbs 11:13"}

Therefore meddle not with him that flattereth.] Tale carriers and flatterers are neither of them fit counsellors. These will say as you say, be it right or wrong; those will tell abroad all that you say, and more too, to do you a mischief. The good Emperor Aurelius was even bought and sold by such evil counsellors; and Augustus complained when Varus was dead, that he had none now left that would deal plainly and faithfully with him.

The Popular Commentary by Paul E. Kretzmann

v. 19. He that goeth about as a talebearer, making it his business to carry gossip and slander, revealeth secrets; therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips. cf Pro_11:13; Pro_13:3.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

He that goeth about as a tale-bearer revealeth secrets; he that delighteth in and accustometh himself to the practice of spreading tales or evil reports, will not forbear to publish the greatest secrets which are committed to his trust. Or, as others render it, and as the words lie in the Hebrew text,

He that revealeth secrets, ( contrary to his promise or the trust reposed in him, you may by that token be assured that,)

he doth and will go about as a tale-bearer. He who divulgeth secrets cannot or will not forbear to publish other things, and so is not fit to be trusted with any thing.

Therefore, to prevent that mischief Heb. and. So the following sentence is not inferred from the former, but only added to it.

Meddle not with him, avoid frequent and familiar society and conversation with him, that flattereth with his lips; by which artifice he seeks to gain thy affections, and to fish out all thy secrets, which he may impart to others, whom he may oblige hereby, and so render his company more acceptable.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

19.A talebearer — A scandalmonger. Comp. Proverbs 11:13.

Meddle not with him that flattereth — Associate not with a man who cannot keep his mouth shut; a contemptible blabber. Comp. Proverbs 13:3.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

Lips. And speaketh much. These people are unworthy of our friendship.

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

meddle = mingle, mix thyself up. Not the same word as in Proverbs 20:3.

lips. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause) for the flattery spoken by them.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.

A talebearer - Hebrew, raakiyl (Hebrew #7400); a detractor; literally, a trafficker, who 'goeth about' offering his wares of scandal, and 'revealing secrets,' to the prejudice of others.

Meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips - to elicit from thee what he may afterward repeat to others. Though there is need of "counsel" (Proverbs 20:19), yet it is not safe to ask it from everyone, and to tell secrets to everyone; for many go about as "talebearers," 'revealing secrets' which they have elicited by 'flattery.'

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(19) Flattereth with his lips.—Rather, is open with his lips, cannot keep them shut.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

that goeth

11:13; 18:8; 26:20-22; Leviticus 19:16

meddle

24:21

flattereth

or, enticeth.

16:29; Romans 16:18

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible

Опасно общаться с двумя типами людей:

(1) с болтунами, хотя они чаще всего льстят и сладкими речами постепенно втираются в доверие. Беспринципными можно назвать тех людей, которые пересказывают истории, сеющие вражду между соседями и родственниками, а также недовольство в народе их правителями, служителями и друг другом; тех, кто раскрывает другим секреты, которые им доверили или они узнали бесчестными способами, притворяясь, что интересуются мыслями и намерениями людей, рассказывая то, что в действительно является неправдой. Не слушайте их, когда они пересказывают свои рассказы и раскрывают чужие секреты, так как можете быть уверены, что они выдадут ваши секреты тоже и будут рассказывать истории о вас.

(2) С льстецами, ибо они чаще всего являются болтунами. Если человек лебезит перед вами, льстит и расхваливает, то будьте готовы к тому, что у него есть планы относительно вас, и будьте бдительны; он выудит из вас то, что может послужить ему темой для рассказа о вас и причинит вам вред. Поэтому с тем, кто широко раскрывает рот, не сообщайся. Тому, кто доверяет свои тайны и дела человеку из-за того, что тот льстит, придется слишком дорого заплатить за свою любовь к славе.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible

Those dearly buy their own praise, who put confidence in a man because he speaks fairly.