Proverbs 20:19

He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.
– Proverbs 20:19

The word for talebearer means slanderer, or informer. The word for secrets means counsels, or closed deliberations. The talebearer uncovers such things that should be kept private. Sometimes the talebearer’s work is malicious and sometimes merely careless. Regardless, the work of talebearers does damage (Proverbs 18:8; 26:20-22). The word for flattereth means to open. This describes a person who is overly talkative, tells all they know, etc. Because they have no control over their mouth, they disclose private news to a public audience. The word for meddle means to braid, or intermix. Wisdom teaches to avoid such a person who is not trustworthy (Proverbs 20:16).

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Proverbs 18:8

The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
– Proverbs 18:8

The word for wounds means to gulp down. The word is only used twice in the Hebrew text, here and in Proverbs 26:22, which is a word-for-word copy of this proverb. The whole proverb is a warning to the penetration of words. A talebearer is a slanderer, or gossiper. So gossip is eagerly gobbled up, and just as food is eaten and internalized, gossip goes to the innermost parts. Wisdom recognizes the natural bent and taste we have for gossip and slander, and also the effect they have on the soul. Refusing to hear a talebearer is the obvious implication (Proverbs 26:17, 20-21; 20:3).

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