To Gossip is to Attack With a Sword – (Proverbs 25:18)
Daily Proverbs
A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow.
Daily Bible Study
Gossiping whether done for social reasons or done deliberately with intentions to hurt others is an attack on someone else. Just as the enemy attacks on the battlefield with intentions to destroy their foes. So too does the gossiper attack others in an effort to destroy them. The Bible equates gossiping and bearing false witness against another to be equivalent to attacking someone with a weapon. The intent is the same, that is to cause harm to the one who is the subject of the gossip. However, with gossiping the weapon is used in secret where the person wielding it remains hidden from others. And it's done purposely in order to prevent the other person from being able to defend themselves.
Nevertheless the intentions and actions have the same destructive result, that is, they seek to destroy the person, destroy their reputation and hurt their relationships with others. Dear believer, it's important for us to remember, God will not hold blameless those who attack with gossip, any more than He will hold blameless those who attack with weapons. We have to remember God judges us on the intentions of our heart. This means God is not like a man, He sees behind every justification we make to the true intentions of the heart. God is not just interested in our actions, He also looks at the thoughts, motives and desires behind our actions. This is because the truth is never hidden from God. Truth is not something God has to look for He already knows it. Moreover, we must remember revenge is not justification for hurting others, it is sin.