Mishle 25:9

9 Plead thy cause with thy re’a himself; and betray not a sod (confidence) to another,

Mishle 25:9 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 25:9

Debate thy cause with thy neighbour [himself]
Between thee and him alone; lay the matter before him, and hear what he has to say for himself, by which you will better judge of the nature of the cause; try to compromise things, and make up the difference between you, which is much better than to commence a lawsuit; at least such a step should be taken first; see ( Matthew 5:25 ) ; and discover not a secret to another;
if the thing in controversy is a secret, do not acquaint another person with it; keep it among yourselves, if the affair can be made up without bringing it into a court of judicature; besides, by communicating it to others, you may have bad counsel given, and be led to take indirect methods: or, "the secret of another", or, "another secret do not discover" ^F2; if you know anything scandalous and reproachful of your neighbour and his family, you are contending with, which does not concern the cause in hand, do not divulge it, as persons from a spirit of revenge are apt to do, when they are quarrelling or litigating a point with each other.

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 (rxa dwo) "secretum alterius", Pagninus, Montanus; "arcanum alterius", Tigurine version, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Mercerus, Michaelis, Schultens, so Cocceius, Gejerus; "arcanum aliud", Munster; "alienum", Syriac version.

Mishle 25:9 In-Context

7 For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up here, than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the noble whom thine eynayim have seen.

8 Go not forth hastily to bring a lawsuit, lest thou know not what to do in the acharit thereof, when thy re’a hath put thee to shame.

9 Plead thy cause with thy re’a himself; and betray not a sod (confidence) to another,

10 Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and the evil report of thee never depart.

11 A word aptly spoken is like tapukhim (apples) of zahav in settings of kesef.