Proverbs 16:28

Pro 16:28 A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.

Ver. 28. A froward man soweth strife.] The Belialist before mentioned, {Pro 16:27} as he digs, so he sows; but as ill seed as may be, that which comes not up but with a curse, as cud-weed, {a} and devil’s bit. He is a sedulous seedsman of sedition; this bad seed he sows in every furrow where he can find footing.

And a whisperer separateth even very friends.] A pestilent tale bearer that carries tales, and so sows strife. Such were Doeg and other abjects that tare David’s name, "and ceased not," {Psa 35:15} tossing it with their carrion mouths as dogs, buzzing into Saul’s ears ever and anon that which might set him agog against him. Such also were those malicious make baits the Pharisees, who, when they thought the disciples had offended, spake not to them, but to their Master, "Why do thy disciples that which is not lawful?" As when they thought Christ offended, they spake not to him, but to his disciples. Thus these whisperers went about to "separate very friends," to make a breach in the family of Christ, by setting off the one from the other. "The words of such whisperers are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly." {Pro 18:8} They are like the wind that creeps in by the chinks and crevices in a wall, or the cracks in a window, that commonly prove more dangerous than a storm that meets a man in the face upon the champion [the plain].

{a} The common name for the genus Gnaphalium of composite plants, having chaffy scales surrounding the flower heads; originally proper to G. sylvaticum; extended to other plants, of allied genera, or similar appearance.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

(Compare Pro 6:14; Pro 10:31).

whisperer--prater, talebearer (Pro 18:8; Pro 26:20).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(28) A froward man.—Who distorts the truth.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

28. soweth] Rather, scattereth abroad, R.V. διαπέμπεται κακὰ, LXX. Comp. Pro_6:14.

separateth chief friends] “Or, alienateih his friend,” R.V. marg. See Pro_19:7.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

A violent man enticeth his neighbour,.... As false teachers do, who are grievous wolves, not sparing the flock, and who by good words and fair speeches deceive the heart of the simple; and as the man of sin, that has shed the blood of the saints, and been drunk with the same, deceives with his miracles and sorceries them that dwell on the earth;

and leadeth him into the way that is not good; yea, into one that is very bad; so far are false teachers from leading their neighbours into the good old way of truth and righteousness, that they lead them into pernicious ways, by whom the way; of truth is spoken evil of; they lead them into a ditch, and into destruction hereafter; as does the man of sin and violence his followers.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Words. Protestants, "a whisperer separateth chief friends."

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

A froward man; or, perverse man, who perverteth his words and ways; who pleaseth not God, and is contrary to men, as was said of the Jews, 1Th 2:15.

Soweth strife, by whispering such things as may provoke one against another.

A whisperer, who secretly carries tales from one to another, publishing those evil words and actions which they should conceal, and detracting from their good actions, and perverting such as are innocent with their false constructions.

Chief friends, Heb. a chief friend; the singular number put for the plural, as is frequent in the Hebrew text.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

28. A froward man — A perverter.

A whisperer — Murmurer; a man who is always complaining. It also means a garrulous man, a great talker, tattler, or talebearer. Comp. Pro_6:14; Pro_6:19; Pro_15:18; Pro_17:9; Pro_18:8; Pro_26:20-22; Pro_29:22.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

A froward man soweth strife. (Pro_6:14, Pro_6:19) The verb means, literally, "sends forth," which may signify "scatters as seed" or "hurls as a missile weapon." The character intended is the perverse man, who distorts the truth, gives a wrong impression, attributes evil motives; such a one occasions quarrels and heartburnings. And a whisperer separateth chief friends. (Pro_17:9) Nirgan is either "a chatterer," or "a whisperer," "calumniator." In Pro_18:8 and Pro_26:20:22 it is translated "tale bearer." "Be not called a whisperer (qiyurov )," says the Son of Sirach (Ecc_5:14), speaking of secret slander. "Slanderers," says an old apothegm, "are Satan"s bellows to blow up contension." Septuagint, "A perverse man sendeth abroad evils, and kindleth a torch of deceit for the wicked, and separateth friends." The alternative rendering of the second clause, "estrangeth a leader," i.e. alienates one leader from another, or from his army, is not confirmed by the authority of the versions or the best commentators.

See homily on Pro_17:9 C.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

28 A man of falsehood scattereth strife,

And a backbiter separateth confidential friends.

Regarding תּהפּכות (מדבר) אישׁ, vid., Pro 2:12, and מדון ישׁלּח, Pro 6:14; the thought of 28b is found at Pro 6:19. נרגּן (with ן minusculum, which occurs thrice with the terminal Nun) is a Niphal formation from רגן, to murmur (cf. נזיד, from זיד), and denotes the whisperer, viz., the backbiter, ψίθυρος, Sir. 5:14, ψιθυριστής, susurro; the Arab. nyrj is abbreviated from it, a verbal stem of נרג (cf. Aram. norgo, an axe, Arab. naurag, a threshing-sledge = מורג) cannot be proved. Aquila is right in translating by τονθρυστής, and Theodotion by γόγγυσος, from רגן, Hiph. נרגּן, γογγύζειν. Regarding אלּוּף, confidential friend, vid., p. 82; the sing., as Pro 18:9, is used in view of the mutual relationship, and מפריד proceeds on the separation of the one, and, at the same time, of the other from it. Luther, in translating by "a slanderer makes princes disagree," is in error, for אלּוּף, φύλαρχος, is not a generic word for prince.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

v. 28. A froward man, one who makes use of malice, soweth strife, for his conduct is bound to create enmity; and a whisperer, a backbiter, separateth chief friends, causing close friends to be divided, for such is the effect of slander skillfully disseminated.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

and a grumbler alienates the Lord And through his grumbling, he alienates the Lord of the world from himself.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.