Proverbs 18:8 (YLT)

Passage

The words of a tale-bearer <FI>are<Fi> as self-inflicted wounds, And they have gone down <FI>to<Fi> the inner parts of the heart.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 18:6 The lips of a fool enter into strife, And his mouth for stripes calleth.

Proverbs 18:7 The mouth of a fool <FI>is<Fi> ruin to him, And his lips <FI>are<Fi> the snare of his soul.

Proverbs 18:8 The words of a tale-bearer <FI>are<Fi> as self-inflicted wounds, And they have gone down <FI>to<Fi> the inner parts of the heart.

Proverbs 18:9 He also that is remiss in his work, A brother he <FI>is<Fi> to a destroyer.

Proverbs 18:10 A tower of strength <FI>is<Fi> the name of Jehovah, Into it the righteous runneth, and is set on high.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "words", "tale-bearer", "self-inflicted", "wounds", "gone", "down", "inner", and "parts". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "words" and "tale-bearer", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "The mouth of a fool FI is..." into verse 9's "He also that is remiss in his...", so "words" and "tale-bearer" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "words" and "tale-bearer" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.