Cross-Questioning

Cross-questioning is the patient, probing work of drawing out what another person has not yet said. The wisdom literature treats it as a craft of discernment rather than mere interrogation.

Drawing Out Deep Counsel

A single proverb gathers the whole picture. The thoughts that move a person sit far below the surface of ordinary speech, and only a skilled listener can reach them: "Counsel in the heart of man is [like] deep water; But a man of understanding will draw it out" (Pr 20:5). The image is of a well — what is wanted is real and present, but the bucket must be lowered carefully and the rope drawn back without spilling. Understanding is what supplies the technique. The verse pairs concealment with capability: the heart's counsel is hidden by nature, and only the discerning have the means to bring it up.