Biblical View on Gossiping

One of the biggest problems in this world are people who gossip and slander others for entertainment and/or sadistic cruelty. I don’t care if they are talking about public figures or personal acquaintances, the Bible makes it absolutely clear that it is not to be tolerated. And, if you are not a Christian, that is fine too. I will be doing a deep dive into other religious views on gossip also.

Its really a very nasty habit and has caused so much pain and misunderstanding. We have a President who loves to do this. And it has trickled down to so many others thinking it is okay.

It is not okay. Let me repeat that. It is not okay. God calls it an aa abomination. So let’s get into it.

The Hebrew word translated “gossip” in the Old Testament is defined as “one who reveals secrets, one who goes about as a talebearer or scandal-monger.” A gossiper is a person who has privileged information about people and proceeds to reveal that information to those who have no business knowing it. Gossip is distinguished from sharing information in two ways:

1. Intent. Gossipers often have the goal of building themselves up by making others look bad and exalting themselves as some kind of repositories of knowledge.

2. The type of information shared. Gossipers speak of the faults and failings of others or reveal potentially embarrassing or shameful details regarding the lives of others without their knowledge or approval. Even if they mean no harm, it is still gossip.

In the book of Romans, Paul reveals the sinful nature and lawlessness of mankind, stating how God poured out His wrath on those who rejected His laws. Because they had turned away from God’s instruction and guidance, He gave them over to their sinful natures. The list of sins includes gossips and slanderers (Romans 1:29b-32). We see from this passage how serious the sin of gossip is and that it characterizes those who are under God’s wrath.

The Bible tells us that “a perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends” (Proverbs 16:28). Many a friendship has been ruined over a misunderstanding that started with gossip. Those who engage in this behavior do nothing but stir up trouble and cause anger, bitterness, and pain among friends. Sadly, some people thrive on this and look for opportunities to destroy others. And when such people are confronted, they deny the allegations and answer with excuses and rationalizations. Rather than admit wrongdoing, they blame someone else or attempt to minimize the seriousness of the sin. “A fool’s mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts” (Proverbs 18:7-8).

Those who guard their tongues keep themselves from calamity (Proverbs 21:23). So we must guard our tongues and refrain from the sinful act of gossip. If we surrender our natural desires to the Lord, He will help us to remain righteous. May we all follow the Bible’s teaching on gossip by keeping our mouths shut unless it is necessary and appropriate to speak.

Below I have put together a list of 99 scriptures that condemns gossip and slander. I am sure there are more. But if you think about this, it is pretty apparent that God DOES NOT want us to gossip and spread mistruths about people.

Now, some of you are going to argue and tell me I have no right to reprimand or point out when people do not follow the laws of God because I am not allowed to judge, you are wrong. There is a difference between “righteous judgement” and hateful judgement and slander. I will direct you to a link about what “righteous judgement” is. https://shopping-feedback.today/humans/what-is-righteous-judgment That said, although we are allowed biblically to confront sinful behavior and gossiping is a sin, we are only allowed to plant the seeds and then we turn it over to the Divine/Holy Spirit who will then work at nourishing the seedling.

1. Proverbs 15:28: A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends. Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.

2. Proverbs 11:13 : Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.

3. Ephesians 4:29: Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

4. Proverbs 26:20: For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.

5. Leviticus 19:16: You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.

6. Proverbs 18:8: The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.

7. Psalm 34:13: Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.

8. Proverbs 10:18: The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever utters slander is a fool.

9. 1 Timothy 5:13: Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.

10. 2 Corinthians 12:20: For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.

11. James 1:26: If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.

12. Proverbs 11:9: With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.

13. Exodus 23:1: You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.

14. James 4:11: Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.

15. Psalm 101:5: Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure.

16. Romans 1:29: They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,

17. Proverbs 6:16-19: There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

18. Proverbs 26:22: The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.

19. Proverbs 21:23: Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.

20. Proverbs 17:4: An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.

21. Titus 3:2: To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

22. Proverbs 17:9: Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.

23. Psalm 141:3: Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!

24. Proverbs 25:23: The north wind brings forth rain, and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.

25. Matthew 12:36: I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,

26. Proverbs 18:21: Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

27. Proverbs 10:19” When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.

28. Luke 6:31: And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

29. Psalm 15:2-3: He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend;

30. Philippians 4:8: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

31. Proverbs 13:3: Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

32. James 3:5: So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!

33. Proverbs 26:20-22: For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.

34. Exodus 20:16: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

35. Romans 1:29-32: They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

36. Romans 1:28-32: And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

37. Colossians 3:8: But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

38. 1 Peter 4:15: But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.

39. Matthew 5:11: Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

40. Colossians 4:6: Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

41. Psalm 19:14: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

42. Matthew 7:12: So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

43. 2 Timothy 2:16: But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness,

44. Proverbs 19:5: A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape.

45. 2 Thessalonians 3:11: For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies.

46. Ephesians 4:31: Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

47. Romans 1:29-30: They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,

48. 1 Thessalonians 4:11: And to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you,

49. Jeremiah 6:28: They are all stubbornly rebellious, going about with slanders; they are bronze and iron; all of them act corruptly.

50. Proverbs 15:4: A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

51. 1 Peter 2:1: So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.

52. Matthew 18:17:If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

53. Psalm 31:18: Let the lying lips be mute, which speak insolently against the righteous in pride and contempt.

54. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10: Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

55. Matthew 18:1-35: At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, ...

56. 1 Timothy 5:19: Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.

57. 1 Peter 3:16: Having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

58. Ephesians 5:11: Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

59. 1 Timothy 5:13-14:Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander.

60. Titus 2:2-3: Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good,

61. James 3:8: But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

62. Psalm 41:7: All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me.

63. Proverbs 18:6-7: A fool's lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating. A fool's mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul.

64. Proverbs 16:27: A worthless man plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire.

65. Psalm 15:1-5: A Psalm of David. O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.

66. Psalm 41:6: And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, while his heart gathers iniquity; when he goes out, he tells it abroad.

67. Psalm 23:1-6: A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. ...

68. 1 Timothy 3:9-11: They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.

69. Ephesians 4:25: Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

70. Matthew 7:1: Judge not, that you be not judged.

71. Proverbs 11:12: Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent.

72. Deuteronomy 13:14: Then you shall inquire and make search and ask diligently. And behold, if it be true and certain that such an abomination has been done among you,

73. Psalm 15:3: Who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend;

74. Proverbs 26:28: A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin.

75. Isaiah 1:1-31: The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged. Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. ...

76. Proverbs 26:17: Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.

77. Psalm 50:20: You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son.

78. Proverbs 12:22: Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.

79. James 3:2: For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.

80. Ezekiel 36:3: Therefore prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord God: Precisely because they made you desolate and crushed you from all sides, so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations, and you became the talk and evil gossip of the people,

81. Proverbs 25:9-10: Argue your case with your neighbor himself, and do not reveal another's secret, lest he who hears you bring shame upon you, and your ill repute have no end.

82. Proverbs 19:9: A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish.

83. Proverbs 11:1-13:25: A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight. When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom. The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness. ...

84. Matthew 5:1-11:30: Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. ...

85. Revelation 1:1: The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,

86. James 3:6: And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

87. Proverbs 18:7-8: A fool's mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul. The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.

88. 1 Timothy 3:11: Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.

89. John 3:16-17: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

90. Psalm 15:1-3: A Psalm of David. O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend;

91. Proverbs 10:2: Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death.

92. Titus 2:3: Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good,

93. Proverbs 16:1-28:28: The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished. ...

94. Romans 1:30: Slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,

95. Matthew 18:16: But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.

96. Psalm 15:2: He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart;

97. Proverbs 15:1: A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

98. James 4:17: So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

99. Titus 3:1-2: Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.