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3 [1] **He that slandereth not with his tongue:** – In this verse he specifies certain prohibitions both as regards speech and deed; but it was not necessary for him to mention (such) of the heart, for he has already said and speaketh truth in his heart, and if his thoughts are truth and righteousness, then there is no evil in his thoughts. He says he slandereth not with his tongue, but does not enunciate the rest of the prohibitions concerning speech, such as: "Thou shalt not bear (false witness) against thy neighbour" (Exod. 20:16); "Thou shalt not revile the judges" (ibid. 22:27); and the like, for he says that which is true, and as a matter of course the others (follow); for from tale-bearing, although its subject-matter may be true, great harm proceeds. And so he says, and speaketh truth in his heart, for the truth that is harmful he does not utter, and that is tale-bearing.
[2] **Nor doeth evil to his friend:** – His friend and his intimate is he with whom he has intercouse in the affairs of the world, or is his neighbour; and when he says, Nor doeth evil to his friend, he does not say that he does it to others, but the text speaks in accordance with usual custom. For instance, "And ye shall not wrong your neighbour" (Lev. 25:17) does not mean that one is free to wrong another, a stranger, who is not one's neighbour. And so again, "Thou shall not bear false witness against thy friend" (Exod. 20:16) does not say that one is free to bear false witness against another who is not one's friend; but (he says "friend") because his general and business relations are with him. And such is frequently the idiom of the language. So when he says Nor doeth evil to his friend he includes all that is prohibited as between a man and his fellow. And he says of the law of the tongue:
[3] **Nor taketh up a reproach against his intimate:** – because he does not reproach nor revile a man even though the latter may have reviled or wronged him. He uses "taketh up" (נשׂא) of the lifting up of the tongue, as "Thou shall not take up (השא) the Name of the Lord thy God for falsehood" (Exod. 20:7); "Thou shall not take up a false report" (ibid, 23:1). When he says his intimate the same applies also to another, but he speaks in accordance with usual custom, as we have explained (above). And קרבו (his intimate) is equivalent to רעהו (his friend), because he is intimately associated with him in his ordinary dealings, or is his actual neighbour, nearer to him than the rest; for a man's intercourse and business are for the most part with such.
Version: R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919
Source: https://www.nli.org.il/he/books/NNL_ALEPH002055445
License: Public Domain