Psalms 55:21
19 God will hear and humiliate them— the One enthroned for the ages— Selah because they do not change and they have no fear of God.
20 My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant.
His speech is smooth as butter, but war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are swords unsheathed.
22 Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.
23 But You, O God, will bring them down to the Pit of destruction; men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days. But I will trust in You.
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- His speech is smooth as butter, but war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are swords unsheathed.
- KJV
- The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.
- WEB
- His mouth was smooth as butter, but his heart was war. His words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.
- ASV
- His mouth was smooth as butter, But his heart was war: His words were softer than oil, Yet were they drawn swords.
- DARBY
- Smooth were the milky [words] of his mouth, but his heart was war; his words were softer than oil, yet are they drawn swords.
- BLB
- His mouth has been smoother than butter, and war [is] in his heart; his words have been softer than oil, and they [are] drawn swords.
- ÅB
- Hans munns ord er glatte som smør, men hans hjertes tanke er strid; hans ord er bløtere enn olje, og dog er de dragne sverd.
- OTB
- Hans ord var glattere enn smør,
Men hans hjerte var satt på krig;
Hans ord var mykere enn olje,
Men de var dragne sverd. - B1930
- Hans munns ord er glatte som smør, men hans hjertes tanke er strid; hans ord er bløtere enn olje, og dog er de dragne sverd.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Psalms 57:4
My soul is among the lions; I lie down with ravenous beasts— with men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.
Read in contextProverbs 5:3–4
Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey and her speech is smoother than oil,
Read in contextPsalms 28:3
Do not drag me away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, who speak peace to their neighbors while malice is in their hearts.
Read in contextProverbs 26:28
A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth causes ruin.
Read in contextPsalms 12:2
They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart.
Read in contextProverbs 26:24–26
A hateful man disguises himself with his speech, but he lays up deceit in his heart.
Read in contextPsalms 64:3
who sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their bitter words like arrows,
Read in contextLuke 20:20–21
So they watched Him closely and sent spies who pretended to be sincere. They were hoping to catch Him in His words in order to hand Him over to the rule and authority of the governor.
Read in context