He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.
Someone who covers up another person's wrongdoing is looking for love and reconciliation; but someone who keeps bringing up an offense breaks apart even close friendships.
This verse is teaching that choosing to overlook someone's mistakes builds relationships, while constantly bringing up past wrongs destroys even the closest friendships.
📚 Historical Context
This proverb comes from Solomon's collection of wisdom sayings, written around 950 BC for teaching practical life skills to young people in ancient Israel. In that honor-based culture, publicly exposing someone's faults could bring serious social shame, while discretely handling offenses was seen as wise and loving. The Hebrew concept of 'covering' a transgression meant choosing not to expose or repeatedly discuss someone's failure.
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