Proverbs 25:23

Driveth away. Heb. chil, “to whirl,” “to dance,” “to writhe.” In the form here used chil may mean “to bring forth.” It is used in Isa. 51:2 of Sarah’s bringing forth the people of Israel, and in Ps. 90:2 of God’s producing the earth. Hence the first clause may be given a completely opposite rendering, “the north wind bringeth forth rain.” Though fair weather in Palestine came out of the north (Job 37:22), it is also true that the northwest wind produced rain.

If the KJV translation is taken, the second clause means that an angry look conveys enough of a threat of retaliation to silence the slanderer. The more probable translation suggests that an angry face may drive one to begin to talk, literally, with a “concealed tongue.” Or the elements of the second clause may be inverted so as to make the slander produce the anger.