He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy and faithful in spirit keeps the matter hidden. (v. 13)
The righteous person is someone who is a proclaimer of truth. It is good to stand up for what is right, and it is good to be bold in the face of opposition. However, there is a time to speak and a time to be silent. We must ask God to grant us the wisdom to know the difference. You can be truthful and still not reveal everything you know. Sometimes, we think holding something back is dishonest, but that is not the case. Here, Solomon lets us know that a “talebearer” is one who tells everybody everything he knows. A trustworthy and faithful person chooses to keep a matter hidden. He does not mean hiding sin or granting anonymity to abusers. Instead, it is knowing how to keep quiet when nothing good can come from the revelation. I am not sure why it feels so delicious to be on the “inside,” to be the first to know something or to be the one who reveals things that cause others to hang on our every word. At the root of that feeling is sin; pride, and a lack of self-control. Sometimes, the godliest thing you can do is keep quiet and let others tell their own stories. This choice is trustworthy and faithful and demonstrates the self-control of resisting the glory of being the “knower.”
