26:20 Where there is no wood, a fire goes out,
and where there is no gossip, 1 contention ceases. 2
26:22 The words of a gossip are like delicious morsels;
they go down into a person’s innermost being. 3
1 sn Gossip (that is, the one who goes around whispering and slandering) fuels contention just as wood fuels a fire. The point of the proverb is to prevent contention – if one takes away the cause, contention will cease (e.g., 18:8).
2 tn Heb “becomes silent.”
3 tn The proverb is essentially the same as 18:8; it observes how appealing gossip is.