Proverbs 18:13 – “He who answers a matter before he hears it,
It is folly and shame to him.”
There have been many times over the years when I have heard one person’s side of the story and and if taken by face value you would think the other person is a relative of the devil. However, I learned to take everything I heard with a grain of salt. The phrase “take it with a grain of salt” is an English idiom that traces its origins back to either Pliny the Elder or the Roman general Pompey. It is interesting that both possibilities center around taking salt in case of an ingestion of poison.
Such could be said about our verse today from the One Year Bible. When you pass judgment on something before you hear the entirety of the matter from all angles, you can be easily poisoned and persuaded to believe what you have heard. The bible called it “folly and shame.” I have heard individuals become very vocal and upset over hearing a matter and believing it before hearing all points of view. Please, please, please do not be drawn into the trap of hearing only one side of the story. When a person asks you, “What do you think,” it is best to answer, “I will let you know once I’ve heard all sides of the story.” It’s a courtesy you want to extend to all parties involved. Until then, take it all with a grain of salt.