“Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will pay for it.”
This one verse, a warning against slander, appears to be a stand-alone proverb. However, it also may be seen (along with vv 11-14) as an elaboration on the first of the two things Agur prays for in verses 8 and 9: “Keep falsehood and lies far from me.” Seen in this way, “slander” is just one more falsehood and one more lie. In other words, Agur is praying: ‘Keep falsehood, lies, and slanders far from me.’
Furtermore, linking verse 10 with verses 11-14 may help clarify the overall outline of the chapter. Of the six “three things, even four” groups in the chapter, the only one that doesn’t have an introduction is the first one (vv 11-14). However, if verse 10 is seen as that introduction, then we might summarize the first “three-four” group (vv 10-14) this way:
‘There are three characteristics of arrogant people who slander others (v 10), four characteristics of those who set themselves against the righteous:
- they curse their parents (v 11);
- they are proud of their sins and immoral behavior (v 12);
- they are haughtily dismissive of others (v 13); and
- they use their mouths like weapons to destroy others (v 14).’
The precise meaning of verse 10 is not very clear on first reading, and the expositor will need to consider several possible interpretations.
“Slander” is the Hebrew “lashan”, which literally means “to wag the tongue”. The same word is used in Psalm 101:5 to signify defaming or slandering.
The result of such slander is that the accused servant may bring a curse or countercharge (“qalal”) against the accuser — and thus the original accuser will in turn “pay for it” or be “found guilty” (“asham”).
“Qalal” (“to curse”) may also be rendered “to treat [someone] lightly or shamefully”:
“Do not curse [‘qalal’] the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the LORD” (Lev 19:14).
“The Philistine [Goliath] cursed [‘qalal’] David by his gods” (1Sam 17:43).
“Do not revile [‘qalal’] the king even in your thoughts, or curse [‘qalal’] the rich in your bedroom, because a bird of the air may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say” (Eccl 10:20; cf the same word in Josh 24:9; Jdgs 9:26–28; 1Sam 3:13; 2Sam 16:5–13; Eccl 7:21,22).
“Asham” (“to pay for it”: NIV; “to be found guilty”: KJV) occurs only this once in Proverbs. Its primary meaning centers on the idea of guilt, but its precise meaning in any single verse can vary, from:
- an action, or sin, which brings guilt, to
- the condition of being guilty, and finally on to
- the punishment for the sin.
Any individual who sins, even unintentionally through error or ignorance, was considered guilty. This, when proved, required the priest to “make atonement for him for any of these sins he has committed, and he will be forgiven” (Lev 5:13).
The other possibility is that the “he” (of “he will curse you”) refers to the master, not the servant. By that reading, the master might investigate the charges, find them to be false or baseless, and then turn his anger toward the one bringing the charge.
Even though the proverb seems to be restricted to accusing a servant to his master, it may have a broader meaning, inasmuch as we all are, or should be, servants to the Divine Master. So Paul says:
“Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand” (Rom 14:4).
And James also says:
“Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it” (James 4:11).
Both these passages warn brothers and sisters against appropriating the office of “judge”, and especially when pronouncing judgment upon others in the household of God. True, there are times when ecclesias will need finally to take action toward wrongdoers, for their own good as well as the well-being of the ecclesia. But such action should be taken carefully and prayerfully, after proper deliberation and consultations, and only after opportunities for the subject to repent and change. The verses cited above warn against individuals rendering judgments of their own, prematurely and without allowing for, and participating in, ecclesial investigation of the matter.
Examples of slander which illustrate this proverb may be noted:
- Doeg the Edomite slandered Ahimelech the priest to King Saul by implying that Ahimelech was assisting David in a conspiracy to kill Saul (1Sam 22:8-10). This was, of course, untrue (1Sam 24:9,10). While Ahimelech did not curse Doeg, David did, in Psalm 52.
- Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth (2Sam 9:12), slandered his master to David (2Sam 16:3; 19:27). When David found out about this he reversed the promise he had given Ziba, and gave him only half of his former master’s property (2Sam 19:29).
- The Babylonians slandered Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to their master Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 3:8).
- Those who later slandered Daniel (Dan 6) were themselves cast into the lions’ den.
Finally, as a last possibility, the LXX translates the verse differently: “Do not deliver a servant into the hands of his master.” Though perhaps less likely, this rendering may refer to the treatment of a runaway slave. The Law of Moses provided for such a situation:
“If a slave has taken refuge with you, do not hand him over to his master. Let him live among you wherever he likes and in whatever town he chooses. Do not oppress him” (Deut 23:15,16).
If it is understood this way, then the proverb throws an interesting light on Paul’s letter to Philemon, which Paul sent to him along with the runaway slave Onesimus, who had made his way to Paul to ask for help. In the letter, Paul is plainly telling Philemon: ‘I am returning your brother, not handing over an escaped slave.’
While verse 10 has its own inherent difficulties of interpretation, it should be noted that verses in Proverbs abound, warning against the evils of slander, gossip, lies, false witnesses, and talebearing:
- Haughty eyes and a lying tongue can lead to the shedding of innocent blood (6:17).
- False witnesses and liars stir up dissension among brothers (6:19; cf 14:5, 25), and undermine justice (19:28).
- A false witness is like a club, sword, or sharp arrow to destroy one’s neighbor (25:18).
- Fools spread slander (10:18).
- Gossips betray confidence (11:13; 20:19), and separate friends (16:28).
- Scoundrels plot evil, and their speech is like a fire, destroying all before it (16:27).
- Gossips proliferate when others enjoy listening to them (18:8; 26:22).
- False witnesses and liars will perish (19:5, 9), as well as those who listen to them (21:28).
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One