Bible Strands
Proverbs 26:22
The words of a gossip are like choice morsels that go down into the inmost being.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The wisdom writer addresses a reader seeking practical discernment, placing this warning immediately after a description of quarrelsome men and before a description of hypocritical speech. The immediate context frames gossip as a destructive force that requires careful handling.
The words — נִרְגָּן (nir.gon) translates literally as "a slanderer," while חַדְרֵי בֶטֶן (chad.rei Va.ten) means "the chambers of the belly." These terms ground the metaphor in physical consumption and hidden interiority.
The thread — The identical metaphor appears in Proverbs 18:8, while Proverbs 20:19 and Ezekiel 22:9 extend the warning against slander and secret-revealing. These passages consistently treat careless speech as a catalyst for relational and moral corruption.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that gossip feels appealing yet operates destructively, requiring the reader to reject its allure. The reader must actively guard against internalizing and spreading unverified claims.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
Cross-references
- Proverbs 18:8 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels that go down into the inmost being.
- Proverbs 20:19 He who reveals secrets is a constant gossip; avoid the one who babbles with his lips.
- Ezekiel 22:9 Among you are slanderous men bent on bloodshed; within you are those who eat on the mountain shrines and commit acts of indecency.