Basic HTML Version
Soncino Commentary:
“. . . a person (peddler) who travels about dealing in scandal
and malicious hearsay, getting the secrets of others and retailing them wherever he
goes.”
It should be realized that what was sometimes said in the beginning as possibly being
true, but it has a way of growing when being passed on to others to not even resemble
what was originally said.
Leviticus 19:16 “. . . neither shall you STAND
(Soncino Commentary: ‘idly by’
)
against the BLOOD (
the life
) of your neighbor; I am the LORD.” KJV.
Soncino Commentary:
“. . . stand idly by the blood of your neighbor, i. e. when his
life is in danger . . . watching with indifference your fellowman (
neighbor
) in mortal
danger through drowning or attacked by wild animals, or robbers, without hastening to
his rescue.”
This also applies when withholding evidence that could free your neighbor and being
indifferent about the penalties that could send him to prison or take his life.
Proverbs 25:18 “Men who bear false witness (
to testify
) against his neighbor
is like (
using
) a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow.”
Reproving One’s Brother or Neighbor
After being wronged by someone, the LORD God says one should go to his brother, or
neighbor, alone and gently with love reprove the person for the harm he or she has done
(
Matthew 18:15-20; Galatians 6:1
):
Leviticus 19:17 “You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall
surely rebuke (
reprove
) your neighbor, and NOT bear sin because of him.”
“Not to bear sin because of him:”
That is seeing his brother’s sin and not taking
steps to correct it in love – personally, or if need be, taking it to the ministry. However
realizing the carnal mind is hostile toward God (
Romans 8:7
), this is not always
advisable to go to a neighbor who is not in the Church of God; one would need much
wisdom coupled with love in so doing.
Quite often a person who has come to know of a secret confidential matter will whisper
to a friend, “I will tell you something if you promise not to tell anyone else.” Then that
person unable to keep it secret tells their friend, and so it goes, until it then is no longer
a secret:
Proverbs 11:13 “A talebearer (
a whisperer
) reveals secrets, but he who is of a
faithful spirit conceals a matter (
of a confidential nature
)
.” I Corinthians 13:4-
8.
16