Duggar Son-In-Law Derick Dillard Gets Biblical On ‘Covering Up An Offense’
Is Derick Dillard talking about Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar and about his brother-in-law, Josh Duggar, in his latest social media declaration? Although he doesn’t name names, the connection is evident. Dillard posted a Bible verse on Thursday night that addresses covering up transgressions and repeating an offense.
Back in 2002, according to In Touch, Josh Duggar’s family first became aware of an incident in which he has sexually assaulted a female while she slept. Nearly a year later, after becoming aware of further incidents, Jim Bob Duggar went to church elders for help. However, no police report was filed until 2006, when police were notified by an outside source.
Jim Bob and Michelle have been widely criticized for keeping Josh’s crimes secret.
However, Derick Dillard, the husband of Jill (Duggar) Dillard, appeared to address the issue on Twitter Thursday night. Since Jill has opened up about being one of Josh’s victims, her husband’s public statement on the matter is of particular interest.
Dillard quoted the Bible, offering no additional context.
“Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.”
Proverbs 17:9— Derick Dillard (@derick4Him) March 18, 2016
What exactly does it mean, in this context, to “seek love”? Looking at other translations may help here. Here are a few from Bible Hub.
NIV: Whoever would foster love covers over an offense
ERV: Forgive someone, and you will strengthen your friendship.
By at least some translations, “cover up” is interpreted as meaning to forgive, and “seek love” appears to refer to strengthening the relationship between the transgressor and the person offering forgiveness. It makes Derick’s message appear to be about the same theme the Duggar family has spoken since the news broke publicly: forgive Josh.
As for the second half of the verse, it’s a little tricky. It’d be easy to read it as a reference to the transgressor betraying trust by repeating an offense after being forgiven and as Derick offering an indictment of Josh. However, again looking at other translations gives a different view.
Look at the Easy-to-Read translation.
“Keep reminding them, and you will destroy it.”
By this translation, at least, “repeating an offense” doesn’t refer to the offender himself offending again — but to others continuing to talk about the offense after claiming to forgive.
In this light, Derick’s statement looks less like a judgment of Josh and more like an attempt to end the ongoing conversation.
In Tuesday night’s episode of Jill and Jessa: Counting On, some of the Duggar offspring, as well as Anna Duggar, Josh’s wife, spoke again about the scandal in which Josh admitted to “being unfaithful” to Anna and to having accounts on a website devoted to extramarital affairs.
Although Michelle Duggar says Josh has just returned to Arkansas after his stint in rehab, Derick’s preaching seems not to be a warning for his brother-in-law not to repeat his transgressions. Instead, it appears to be a declaration against further discussion of the incidents.
Shortly before Josh’s police report was made public, several members of the Duggar family, including Anna, spoke about forgiveness, but Derick Dillard was not among them. Although Anna says she knew about the sexual assaults before marrying Josh, there has been no indication that Derick knew, although his wife was one of the victims. As for the public release, Michelle and Jim Bob were reportedly warned before the police report was turned over in a FOIA request, but it’s not clear whether Derick would have known. Thus, his lack of public statement at the time might not indicate Derick’s opinion of his brother-in-law, but just a lack of awareness that anything was about to happen.
It’s no great surprise that some members of the family are ready for the discussion about Josh to be over, especially with recent reports that the eldest Duggar son is interested in renewing his career with a book deal or public speaking events.
Can Derick’s tweet be read as an indication that further Jill and Jessa: Counting On episodes will no longer address the crimes and scandal? Alternately, are they from a frustrated son-in-law passive-aggressively expressing an opinion that he knows will hold no sway in his father-in-law’s show biz decisions? As long as Anna Duggar’s tearful speeches about forgiveness continue to be a draw to viewers, it’s unlikely that Derick Dillard’s opinions — even backed up with Bible verses — on talking about past transgressions will mean much.
[Image via TLC]
