17:9

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

9a
Whoever conceals an offense promotes love,

9b but he who brings it up separates friends.

17:9a

Whoever conceals an offense: This phrase is similar to the phrase used in 10:12b. See the note there. It refers to a person who overlooks, excuses or forgives an offense or sin that another person commits against him. It is also implied from 17:9b that when a person forgives another person’s offense, he keeps quiet about it.

promotes love: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “seeks love.” It indicates that the person who covers over an offense wants to create or preserve a friendship or loving relationship with the other person. Some other ways to translate 17:9a are:

You will keep your friends if you forgive them (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
If you want people to like you, forgive them when they wrong you. (Good News Translation)

17:9b

but he who brings it up separates friends: The phrase brings it up is ambiguous. It may indicate that:

(1) Someone reminds the offender of his offense. For example:

if you remind them of what they did wrong, you will destroy your friendship

(2) Someone gossips about the offender’s offense to others. For example:

but gossiping about the sin breaks up friendships (New Century Version)

It is recommended that you translate in a way that will allow either meaning, as the Berean Standard Bible and Contemporary English Version have done. For example:

you will lose your friends if you keep talking about what they did wrong (Contemporary English Version)

If you cannot maintain this ambiguity in your language, you may translate either of the more specific meanings. Both fit the context well.

For the phrase separates friends, see the note on 16:28a–b.

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