18:17
In this verse, the second line completes the thought of the first line.
17a The first to state his case seems right
17b until another comes and cross-examines him.
The setting of this proverb is a dispute in which the opponents both present their cases. It could be a legal dispute that is brought before a judge in court or before the elders of a town. It could also be an argument between members of a family.
The proverb implies that people need to hear both sides of a dispute before they make a decision. It also implies the need to question the first speaker to make sure that he described the situation accurately.
18:17a
The first to state his case seems right: In Hebrew, this clause is literally “The first in his dispute is righteous.” It means that the first person to state his side of an argument appears to be right in what he has said. This is probably the accuser.
It is implied that he presents his evidence in a way that makes his own case look stronger than it actually is. Some other ways to translate this clause are:
The first person to speak in court always seems right (Good News Translation)
-or-
The person who tells one side of a story seems right (New Century Version)
18:17b
until another comes and cross-examines him: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as another is literally “his neighbor.” It refers to the next person who speaks, probably the defendant. When the second person cross-examines or questions his accuser, the accuser’s arguments may no longer seem to be right. Some other ways to translate this clause are:
until his opponent begins to cross-examine him (NET Bible)
-or-
until the next person comes forward to ask him questions
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