sufficient to bewail it? How thick do censures and reproaches fly in
all places, at all tables, in all conventions! And this were the more
tolerable, if it were only the fault of ungodly men, of strangers and
enemies to religion; for so saith the proverb, "Wickedness proceedeth
from the wicked." When a man's heart is full of hell, it is not
unreasonable to expect his tongue should be set on fire of hell; and
it is no wonder to hear such persons reproach good men, yea, even for
their goodness. But alas! the disease doth not rest here, this plague
is not only among the Egyptians but Israelites too. It is very
doleful to consider how professors sharpen their tongues like swords
against professors; and one good man censures and reproaches another,
and one minister traduceth another; and who can say, "I am clean from
this sin?" O that I could move your pity in this case! For the Lord's
sake pity yourselves, and do not pollute and wound your consciences
with this crime. Pity your brethren; let it suffice that godly
ministers and Christians are loaded with reproaches by wicked men—
there is no need that you should combine with them in this diabolical
work. You should support and strengthen their hands against the
reproaches of the ungodly world, and not add affliction to the
afflicted. O pity the world, and pity the church which Christ hath
purchased with his own blood, which methinks bespeaks you in these
words, "Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for
the hand of God hath touched me." Job 19:21. Pity the mad and
miserable world, and help it against this sin; stop the bloody issue;
restrain this wicked practice amongst men as much as possibly you
can, and lament it before God, and for what you cannot do yourselves,
give God no rest until he shall please to work a cure. Matthew
Poole, 1624-1679.
Verse 3. "He that backbiteth not," etc. Detraction or
slander is not lightly to be passed over, because we do so easily
fail in this point. For the good name of a man, as saith Solomon, is
a precious thing to every one, and to be preferred before much
treasure, insomuch that it is no less grievous to hurt a man with the
tongue than with a sword: nay, ofttimes the stroke of a tongue is
grievouser than the wound of a spear, as it is in the French proverb.
And therefore the tongue must be bridled, that we hurt not in any
wise the good name of our neighbour; but preserve it unto him safe
and sound, as much as in us shall lie. That which he addeth touching
evil or injury not to be done to our neighbour, is like unto that
which we have seen already concerning the working or exercising of
righteousness. He would have us therefore so to exercise all upright
dealing, that we might be far from doing any damage or wrong to our
neighbours. And by the name of neighbour, is meant every man and
woman, as it is plain and evident. For we are all created of God, and
placed in this world that we might live uprightly and sincerely
together. And therefore he breaketh the law of human society (for we
are all tied and bound by this law of nature) that doth hurt or
injury to another. The third member of this verse is, nor that
reproacheth another, or, that maintaineth not a false report give
one against another; which latter particle seemeth to be the better,
since he had spoken before expressly, touching the good name of
another, not to be hurt or wronged with our tongue. To the which
fault this is next in degree, wherewith we are too much encumbered,
and which we scarce acknowledge to be a fault, when we further and
maintain the slanders devised and given out by another against a man,
either by hearing them or telling them forth to others, as we heard
them. For why? It seemeth for the most part to be enough for us if we
can say, that we feign not this or that, nor make it of our own
heads, but only tell it forth as we heard it of others, without
adding anything of our own brain. But as oft as we do this we fail in
our duty doing, in not providing for our neighbour's credit, as were
requisite for the things, which being uttered by others ought to be
passed over in silence and to lie dead, we gather up, and by telling
them forth, disperse them abroad, which whether it be a sin or no,
when as we ought by all means possible to wish and do well unto our
neighbours, all men do see. And therefore thou that travellest
towards eternal life, must not only not devise false reports and
slanders against other men, but also not so much as have them in thy
mouth being devised by others, neither by any means assist or
maintain them in slandering; but by all honest and lawful means,
provide for the credit and estimation of thy neighbour, so much as in
thee lieth. Peter Baro, D.D., 1560.
Verse 3. "He that backbiteth not with his tongue." The
Hebrew word (Heb.) signifieth to play the spy, and by a metaphor, to
backbite or slander, for backbiters and
whisperers, after the manner of spies, go up and down dissembling
their malice, that they may espy the faults and defects of others,
whereof they may make a malicious relation to such as will give ear
to their slanders. So that backbiting is a malicious
defamation of a man behind his back. . . . . . And that the citizen
of heaven doth and ought to abhor from backbiting, the
horrible wickedness of this sin doth evince. For first, Leviticus
19:16, where it is straightly forbidden, the "tale-bearer" is
compared to a pedlar: "Thou shalt not walk about with tales and
slanders, as it were a pedlar among thy people." So much (Heb.)
signifieth. For as the pedlar having bought his wares of some one or
more goeth about from house to house that he may sell the same to
others; so backbiters and tale-bearers, gathering
together tales and rumours, as it were wares, go from one to another,
that such wares as either themselves have invented, or have gathered
by report, they may utter in the absence of their neighbour to his
infamy and disgrace. Likewise Psalm 50:20, it is condemned as a
notable crime, which God will not suffer to go unpunished; Ezekiel
22:9, it is reckoned among the abominations of Jerusalem, for which
destruction is denounced against it; and Romans 1:29, 30, among the
crimes of the heathen, given over unto a reprobate sense, this is
placed: they were "whisperers and backbiters." George
Downame.
Verse 3. "He that backbiteth not." He that is guilty of
backbiting, that speaks evil of another behind his back, if that
which he speaks be false, is guilty of lying, which is prejudicial to
salvation. If that which he speaks be true, yet he is void of charity
in seeking to defame another. For as Solomon observes, "Love covereth
all sins." Proverbs 10:12. Where there is love and charity, there
will be a covering and concealing of men's sins as much as may be.
Now where charity is wanting, their salvation is not to be expected.
1 Corinthians 13:1, etc.; 1 John 3:14, 15. Christopher
Cartwright, 1602-1658.
Verse 3. "Backbiteth not." This crime is a conjugation
of evils, and is productive of infinite mischiefs; it undermines
peace, and saps the foundation of friendship; it destroys families,
and rends in pieces the very heart and vitals of charity; it makes an
evil man party, and witness, and judge, and executioner of the
innocent. Bishop Taylor.
Verse 3. "Backbiteth." The scorpion hurteth none but
such as he toucheth with the tip of his tail; and the crocodile and
basilisk slay none but such as either the force of their sight, or
strength of their breath reacheth. The viper woundeth none but such
as it biteth; the venomous herbs or roots kill none but such as
taste, or handle, or smell them, and so come near unto them; but the
poison of slanderous tongues is much more rank and deadly; for that
hurteth and slayeth, woundeth and killeth, not only near, but afar
off; not only at hand, but by distance of place removed; not only at
home, but abroad; not only in our own nation, but in foreign
countries; and spareth neither quick nor dead. Richard
Turnbull.
Verse 3. "Backbiteth." The word here used comes from a
root signifying foot, and denotes a person who goes about from
house to house, speaking things he should not (1 Timothy 5:13); and a
word from this root siginifies spies; and the phrase here may point
at persons who creep into houses, pry into the secrets of families,
divulge them, and oftentimes represent them in a false light. Such
are ranked among the worst of men, and are very unfit to be in the
society of saints, or in the Church of Christ. See Romans 1:30.
John Gill.
Verse 3. "Nor taketh up a reproach against his
neighbour." The saints of God must not be too light of hearing,
much less of believing all tales, rumours, and reports of their
brethren; and charity requireth that we do not only stop and stay
them, but that we examine them before we believe them. Saul, the
king, too light of belief in this point, believed the slanderous and
false reports of David's enemies, who put into Saul's head that David
imagined evil against him. Yea, David himself showed his great
infirmity in that, that without due examination and proof of the
matter, he believed the false report of Ziba, against Mephibosheth,
the son of Jonathan; of whom to David the king, persecuted by Absalom
his son, Ziba reported falsely, that he should say, "This day shall
the house of Israel restore unto me the kingdom of my father." The
example of whose infirmity in Scripture reproved, must not we follow;
but let us rather embrace the truth of that heavenly doctrine which,
through God's Spirit, here he preacheth, that we believe not false
reports against our neighbours. Richard Turnbull.
Verse 3. Despise not thy neighbour, but think thyself as bad a
sinner, and that the like defects may befall thee. If thou canst not
excuse his doing, excuse his intent which may be good; or if the deed
be evil, think it was done of ignorance; if thou canst no way excuse
him, think some great temptation befell him, and that thou shouldst
be worse if the like temptation befell thee; and give God thanks that
the like as yet hath not befallen thee. Despise not a man being a
sinner, for though he be evil to-day, he may turn to-morrow.
William Perkins, 1558-1602.
Verses 3, 4, 5. They that cry down moral honesty, cry down
that which is a great part of religion, my duty towards God, and my
duty towards man. What care I to see a man run after a sermon, if he
cozens and cheats as soon as he comes home? On the other side,
morality must not be without religion, for if so, it may change as I
see convenience. Religion must govern it. He that has not religion to
govern his morality, is not a dram better than my mastiff-dog; so
long as you stroke him, and please him, and do not pinch him, he will
play with you as finely as may be, he is a very good moral mastiff;
but if you hurt him, he will fly in your face, and tear out your
throat. John Seldon, 1584-1654.
Verse 4. "In whose eyes a vile person is contemned,"
etc. When wicked Jehoram, king of Israel, came to Eliseus, the
prophet, to ask counsel of the Lord, and to entreat for waters,
having in company Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, being virtuous; the
prophet showeth his contempt to the one, being wicked, and his
reverence to the other, being godly, faithful and virtuous, said, "As
the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, were it not that I
regard the presence of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, I would not