Thou shalt not go up and down [as] a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I [am] the LORD.
Ver. 16. Up and down as a talebearer.] Heb., As a pedlar, that first fills his pack with reports and rumours, and then goes peddling up and down, dropping a tale here and another there, to the taking away of the good name, and sometimes of the life of another. Hence it follows here, "Neither shalt thou stand against the life of thy brother." And agreeable hereunto is that of Ezekiel 22:9, "In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood." Such a wretched pedlar was Doeg: and such is that backbiter spoken of in Psalms 15:3. The word there used doth in the Hebrew properly signify such a one as footeth and trotteth it up and down, prying, and spying, and carrying tales and rumours. 2Sa 19:21