SEV Biblia, Chapter 25:9
Trata tu causa con tu compañero, y no descubras el secreto a otro;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Proverbs 25:9
Verse 9. Debate thy cause with thy neighbour ] Take the advice of friends. Let both sides attend to their counsels; but do not tell the secret of thy business to any. After squandering your money away upon lawyers, both they and the judge will at last leave it to be settled by twelve of your fellow citizens! O the folly of going to law! O the blindness of men, and the rapacity of unprincipled lawyers! On this subject I cannot but give the following extract from Sir John Hawkins's Life of Dr. Johnson, which he quotes from Mr. Selwin, of London: "A man who deliberates about going to law should have, 1. A good cause; 2. A good purse; 3. A good skillful attorney; 4. Good evidence; 5. Good able counsel; 6. A good upright judge; 7. A good intelligent jury; and with all these on his side, if he have not, 8. Good luck, it is odds but he miscarries in his suit." O the glorious uncertainty of the law!
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 9. Debate thy cause with thy neighbour [himself] , etc.] Between thee and him alone; lay the matter before him, and hear what he has to say for himself, by which you will better judge of the nature of the cause; try to compromise things, and make up the difference between you, which is much better than to commence a lawsuit; at least such a step should be taken first; (see Matthew 5:25); and discover not a secret to another ; if the thing in controversy is a secret, do not acquaint another person with it; keep it among yourselves, if the affair can be made up without bringing it into a court of judicature; besides, by communicating it to others, you may have bad counsel given, and be led to take indirect methods: or, “the secret of another”, or, “another secret do not discover” f676 ; if you know anything scandalous and reproachful of your neighbour and his family, you are contending with, which does not concern the cause in hand, do not divulge it, as persons from a spirit of revenge are apt to do, when they are quarrelling or litigating a point with each other.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 8-10 - To be hasty in beginning strife, will bring into difficulties. War mus at length end, and might better be prevented. It is so in privat quarrels; do all thou canst to settle the matter.
Original Hebrew
ריבך 7378 ריב 7379 את 854 רעך 7453 וסוד 5475 אחר 312 אל 408 תגל׃ 1540
