The Scripture passages are identified with bold upright font and the author’s notes are identified with italic regular font.

Note – All words or phrases found in quotation marks are actual parts of the Hebrew or Greek definition(s).

¹³ A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.

¹⁴ Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

Safe Counsel

Those people who tell the business of other people, we all know them, are disgusting people. A person’s privacy is sacred in my view. People who violate that sacredness are people unworthy of any form of trust.

We all know what it means “to reveal” the details of another person’s life. To reveal is part of the Hebrew definition of the word “revealeth” which I have listed below. Yet, take a moment to review the definition and you will find another, what I find to be very an interesting aspect of the definition (v.13).

“revealeth” in the Hebrew language is defined as:

1540. גָּלָה gâlâh, gaw-law’; a prim. root; to denude (espec. in a disgraceful sense); by impl. to exile (captives being usually stripped); fig. to reveal:— + advertise, appear, bewray, bring, (carry, lead, go) captive (into captivity), depart, disclose, discover, exile, be gone, open, × plainly, publish, remove, reveal, × shamelessly, shew, × surely, tell, uncover.

Part of the definition regarding revealing a person’s personal information includes the implication that you will be placing that person under a form of ‘exile, as captives being stripped’ of something. Stripped of what? Exiled in what manner? Let us consider that for a moment.

When we reveal a person’s personal business, we are exiling them to an island unto themselves. Why? Because we break their trust and in their brokenness from the betrayal they retreat to a place of isolation. Thus, our betrayal of the trust they placed in us leads to brokenness and isolation, leaving them without the help they were most likely seeking when they confided in us originally.

Now we will examine the proper and godly way we should handle the private details of a person’s life when they entrust us with what is on their heart. A “faithful” friend, brother or sister in Christ, a faithful Christian in general will be very careful to keep the confidence of other people regardless of the circumstances (v.13).

“concealeth” in the Hebrew language is defined as:

3680. כָּסָה kâçâh, kaw-saw’; a prim. root; prop. to plump, i.e. fill up hollows; by impl. to cover (for clothing or secrecy):— clad self, close, clothe, conceal, cover (self), (flee to) hide, overwhelm. comp. 3780. כֶּסֶה keçeh. See 3677. כִּסֵּה kiççêh. See 3678.

People love to tell and hear gossip, Christians can be some of the worst about this because of the sinister way in which they go about it, ‘We need to pray for so and so, did you hear…?’ How horrid, and God will judge them for using His precious gift of prayer for their indulgence in sin. YES, gossip is sin!

I once was at a bible study where the leader, yes, the leader, stated we needed to pray for XXXX and then proceeded tell the entire room about the woman’s adultery, her husband response, the condition of the current marital situation, with whom the woman had cheated, etc. I was in shock at first, I could not believe what she was doing and how many people in the room were asking her questions, soliciting very intimate details, like to do so was perfectly normal. I got up, pointed out my disbelief that she as a leader would do such a thing, and left, never to return.

When someone entrust you with a detail about their life be trustworthy and keep it to yourself. Always assume anything someone says to you is only meant for you to hear, keep your mouth close, and you will save many people and yourself a great deal of hurt.

Verse fourteen shows us the value of counsel and the outcome of lack of counsel. We will begin by looking at the definitions of two words in this verse “fall” and “safety” as defined in the Hebrew language.

“fall” in the Hebrew language is defined as:

5307. נָפַל nâphal, naw-fal’; a prim. root; to fall, in a great variety of applications (intr. or caus., lit. or fig.):— be accepted, cast (down, self, [lots], out), cease, die, divide (by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall (away, down, -en, -ing), fell (-ing), fugitive, have [inheritance], inferior, be judged [by mistake for 6419], lay (along), (cause to) lie down, light (down), be (× hast) lost, lying, overthrow, overwhelm, perish, present (-ed, -ing), (make to) rot, slay, smite out, × surely, throw down.

“safety” in the Hebrew language is defined as:

8668. תְּשׁוּעָה t^eshûw˓âh, tesh-oo-aw’; or תְּשֻׁעָה t^eshû˓âh, tesh-oo-aw’; from 7768 in the sense of 3467; rescue (lit. or fig., pers., national or spir.):— deliverance, help, safety, salvation, victory.

All manner of destruction comes to those people who have no counsel to guide them in life (v.14). Godly counsel is a must in order to live a life of godliness and wisdom. Seek out trustworthy counsel from several mature godly Christians, counsel that is wise and godly, measure their words against God’s Word, and then follow their counsel.

Please note that the safety found in a multitude of godly counselors is also “national” safety, safety for a country. How many countries have we seen fall that were ran by a dictator? Dictators do not seek counsel beyond themselves, and their lack of counsel has brought destruction to their people and to themselves.

Be faithful, be trustworthy, be honorable, be safe counsel for each and every person who comes to you and is willing to share the details of their life with you; and find likewise counsel for yourself as well.

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Throughout this study, if you need the wisdom of God on a matter, and you wish to receive the counsel of another Believer in Christ, please use the “comments” link to send your question to me.

Please keep me in your prayers and know that if God should speak anything into your heart as you pray for me regarding my life, please feel free to share that with me. God speaks through His people.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers, and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.