Gossip

Proverbs 18:8 (NKJV)

“The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, and they go down into the inmost body.”

(KJV)

"8 The words of a talebearer [are] as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.”

    This verse is translated, I believe better and more accurately in the New King James version. Although, the translators of the original KJV seemed to be adding the implied result by using the word “wound”, this word is a mistranslation of the original. The actual word is “dainty morsels” so tasty trifles would be more exact here. 

    To gain accurate understanding of this verse, one must view it in their minds eye. The talebearer herein described is a person who speaks incessantly. However, their words are not foolish or ignorant but rather eloquent and articulate. Due to the smoothness with which they express themselves, those around them never tire of hearing their orations. Indeed, the words that they speak are, in general, those words which relate stories of unfortunate events in the lives of others. In accordance with the extreme nature of the talebearer, exaggerations and judgments are made by the talebearer and shared with the listener. The word translated here as “tasty trifles”  means {as described above}dainty morsels - but there is more to the definition than this. In fact, these words literally imply the manner in which one eats delectables. That is, they eat one and love the taste so much that they consume more and more in rapid succession- they gulp them down and swallow them almost whole! There is something in a human as a result of the fall that deeply desires to hear about drama, to hear about outrageous acts. Hearing those types of things is somehow exciting and invigorating at the same time. It seems the more they learn of scandalous exploits the more they want to hear of them and if there are none in occurrence at the time, then making them up will suffice! This is the essence of Proverbs 18:8. The hearers swallow the gossip, the lies, the judgments whole without thinking, without “chewing” on what they have heard and evaluating the consequences thereof. 

    The phrase “inmost body” or “innermost parts of the belly” can refer to the stomach, where food is eliminated or it can, interestingly, refer to the seat of the womb where the seed is implanted for growth. I believe that God chose that phraseology on purpose in order to display the fact that the belly drives hunger for more satisfaction in the same way that libido drives sexual desire. Further, this phrase was chosen to exhibit the fact that when speech such as described here enters the ears, then it quickly- almost immediately implants itself into the human in order that it might grow and bear fruit- as a growing fetus. In the same way that a fetus must be physically eradicated from the body of a woman in an abortion or miscarriage in order to curtail a birth, these "tasty trifles”  must be aborted or miscarried so that they are not birthed into the life of the human. To “miscarry” these slanderous and treacherous words, one must starve them so that they have nothing on which to survive. They cannot be contemplated upon, mulled over, or spoken about. To abort them, however, is quite different and much more violent. In this case, one must aggressively speak contrary to them using the word of God where it opposes them. Meaning that one must find a verse in the Bible that speaks directly against whatever was heard and ingested and then they must speak that verse out loud over the situation violently commanding the seed not to take root. 

    Indeed, it would be better never to hear words that speak against the heart of God in any situation. Our Lord Jesus cautioned us to take heed how we hear and to be careful what we hear because of the extreme measures we must employ should contrary words find passage into our lives. Sometimes, I hear things that I should not hear such as a commercial that touts some drug for curing this or that. When that happens, I recite 1 Peter 2:24 aloud and then I “plea the blood” of Jesus over my mind and my ears…. I have been known to yell at the TV and mute it when commercials come on. I have also been known to rebuke people to their faces when they attempt to share their “tasty trifles” with me. I have an extended family member who cannot seem to speak without speaking great swelling words against everyone she is in contact with. She tells of how bad things are for them or how awful everyone is to be around - I have entirely eradicated her from my life. I  no longer speak to her for any reason. If, perchance I find myself at a family gathering with her, I generally walk away from her prior to her igniting a conversation with me. 

    To violently and aggressively combat words that your flesh gobbles up is the only safe method for remaining sin free the words of a talebearer attempt to penetrate your ears. Guard what you hear with all of your strength- for out of it spring the issues of life.