Proverbs 26:22

People enjoy listening to what gossips say about others just like [SIM] they enjoy tasty food; they enjoy listening to what gossips tell them like they enjoy swallowing tasty food.

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

In Context

21Putting charcoal on burning coals or putting wood on a fire causes the fire to keep burning; similarly, people who like to quarrel cause people to keep arguing.

23People who say nice things when they are thinking about doing evil things are like a nice glaze/covering on a cheap clay pot.

Read all of Proverbs 26

Cross References

Proverbs 18:8People enjoy listening to what gossips say like [SIM] they enjoy tasty food; they accept what gossips tell them like [MET] they swallow tasty food.

Ezekiel 22:9Among you are men who tell lies in order to cause others to be executed [MTY]. There are those who eat food offered to idols at the hilltop shrines, and they perform disgusting sexual acts.

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 26:21-23

20 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. 21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife. 22 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. Contention is as a fire; it heats the spirit, burns up all that is good, and puts families and societies into a flame. Now here we are told how that fire is commonly kindled and kept burning, that we may avoid the occasions… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Proverbs 26:22