Proverbs 26:23
New International Version
Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart.

New Living Translation
Smooth words may hide a wicked heart, just as a pretty glaze covers a clay pot.

English Standard Version
Like the glaze covering an earthen vessel are fervent lips with an evil heart.

Berean Standard Bible
Like glaze covering an earthen vessel are burning lips and a wicked heart.

King James Bible
Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross.

New King James Version
Fervent lips with a wicked heart Are like earthenware covered with silver dross.

New American Standard Bible
Like an earthenware vessel overlaid with silver impurities Are burning lips and a wicked heart.

NASB 1995
Like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross Are burning lips and a wicked heart.

NASB 1977
Like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross Are burning lips and a wicked heart.

Legacy Standard Bible
Like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross Are fiery lips and an evil heart.

Amplified Bible
Like a [common] clay vessel covered with the silver dross [making it appear silver when it has no real value] Are burning lips [murmuring manipulative words] and a wicked heart.

Christian Standard Bible
Smooth lips with an evil heart are like glaze on an earthen vessel.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Smooth lips with an evil heart are like glaze on an earthen vessel.

American Standard Version
Fervent lips and a wicked heart Are like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Like tried silver plated over a clay vessel, so are fiery lips and an evil heart.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Silver dishonestly given is to be considered as a potsherd: smooth lips cover a grievous heart.

Contemporary English Version
Hiding hateful thoughts behind smooth talk is like coating a clay pot with a cheap glaze.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Swelling lips joined with a corrupt heart, are like an earthen vessel adorned with silver dross.

English Revised Version
Fervent lips and a wicked heart are like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
[Like] a clay pot covered with cheap silver, [so] is smooth talk that covers up an evil heart.

Good News Translation
Insincere talk that hides what you are really thinking is like a fine glaze on a cheap clay pot.

International Standard Version
A clay vessel plated with a thin veneer of silver— that's what smooth lips with a wicked heart are.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Burning lips and a wicked heart Are like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross.

Literal Standard Version
Silver of dross spread over potsherd, | [Are] burning lips and an evil heart.

Majority Standard Bible
Like glaze covering an earthen vessel are burning lips and a wicked heart.

New American Bible
Like a glazed finish on earthenware are smooth lips and a wicked heart.

NET Bible
Like a coating of glaze over earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart.

New Revised Standard Version
Like the glaze covering an earthen vessel are smooth lips with an evil heart.

New Heart English Bible
Like silver dross on an earthen vessel are the lips of a fervent one with an evil heart.

Webster's Bible Translation
Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross.

World English Bible
Like silver dross on an earthen vessel are the lips of a fervent one with an evil heart.

Young's Literal Translation
Silver of dross spread over potsherd, Are burning lips and an evil heart.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Similitudes and Instructions
22The words of a gossip are like choice morsels that go down into the inmost being. 23Like glaze covering an earthen vessel are burning lips and a wicked heart. 24A hateful man disguises himself with his speech, but he lays up deceit in his heart.…

Cross References
Matthew 23:27
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and every kind of impurity.

Luke 11:39
"Now then," said the Lord, "you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.

Proverbs 25:4
Remove the dross from the silver, and a vessel for a silversmith will come forth.

Proverbs 26:25
When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart.


Treasury of Scripture

Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross.

Proverbs 10:18
He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.

2 Samuel 20:9,10
And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him…

Ezekiel 33:31
And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.

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Ardent Burning Coating Covered Covering Dross Earth Earthen Earthenware Evil Fervent Heart Lips Overlaid Plated Potsherd Silver Smooth Spread Vessel Waste Wicked
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Proverbs 26
1. observations about fools
13. about sluggards
17. and about contentious busybodies














(23) Burning lips--i.e., burning with love, while there is an evil heart within.

A potsherd covered with silver dross.--Pottery glazed with dross of silver, a well-known method of ornamentation. For similar proverbs, comp. Matthew 23:27; Luke 11:39.

Verse 23. - The next proverbs are concerned with hypocrisy. The Hebrew denotes the comparison simply by position (see on Proverbs 25:11), thus: An earthen vessel (or, potsherd) overlaid with silver dross - growing lips and a wicked heart. So called "silver dross" is litharge, an oxide of lead used to this day to put a glaze on pottery (comp. Ecclus. 38:30). The comparatively worthless article is thus made to assume a fine appearance. Thus lips that seem to burn with affection, and give the kiss of glowing, love, may mask a heart filled with envy and hatred Judas kisses and words of friendship hide the bad feelings that lurk within. Septuagint, "Silver given with guile is to be considered as a potsherd; smooth (λεῖα) lips hide a grievous heart" (comp. Matthew 23:27).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Like glaze
כֶּ֣סֶף (ke·sep̄)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3701: Silver, money

covering
מְצֻפֶּ֣ה (mə·ṣup·peh)
Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 6823: To lay out, lay over

an earthen vessel
חָ֑רֶשׂ (ḥā·reś)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2789: Earthenware, earthen vessel, sherd, potsherd

are burning
דֹּלְקִ֣ים (dō·lə·qîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 1814: To burn, hotly pursue

lips
שְׂפָתַ֖יִם (śə·p̄ā·ṯa·yim)
Noun - fd
Strong's 8193: The lip, language, a margin

and a wicked
רָֽע׃ (rā‘)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

heart.
וְלֶב־ (wə·leḇ-)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 26:23 Like silver dross on an earthen vessel (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 26:22
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