King James Version

Jeremiah 9:8

Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait.

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Jeremiah 9:7.

חֵ֥ץchetsarrowחֵץnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “arrow”, the ordinary formH2671properly, a piercer, i.e. an arrow; by implication, a wound; figuratively, (of God) thunderbolt; the shaft of aspear[phrase] archer, arrow, dart, shaft, staff, wound.שוחטshvchtslaughterשָׁחַטverb, qal, participle, absolute — “slaughter”, a verb used as a describing wordH7819to slaughter (in sacrifice or massacre)kill, offer, shoot out, slay, slaughter.שָׁח֛וּטshachutslaughterשָׁחַטverb, qal, passive participle, absolute — “slaughter”, a verb used as a describing wordH7819to slaughter (in sacrifice or massacre)kill, offer, shoot out, slay, slaughter.לְשׁוֹנָ֖םleshonamtongueלָשׁוֹןnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “tongue”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3956the tongue (of man or animals), used literally (as the instrument of licking, eating, or speech), and figuratively (speech, an ingot, a fork of flame, a cove of water)[phrase] babbler, bay, [phrase] evil speaker, language, talker, tongue, wedge.מִרְמָ֣הmirmahcraftמִרְמָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “craft”, the ordinary formH4820fraudcraft, deceit(-ful, -fully), false, feigned, guile, subtilly, treachery.דִבֵּ֑רdiberspeakדָבַרverb, piel, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “speak”, a completed actionH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.בְּפִ֗יוbefivin edgeפֶּהpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “in edge”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6310the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech); specifically edge, portion or side; adverbially (with preposition) according toaccord(-ing as, -ing to), after, appointment, assent, collar, command(-ment), [idiom] eat, edge, end, entry, [phrase] file, hole, [idiom] in, mind, mouth, part, portion, [idiom] (should) say(-ing), sentence, skirt, sound, speech, [idiom] s…שָׁל֤וֹםshalomhealthשָׁלוֹםnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “health”, the ordinary formH7965safe, i.e. (figuratively) well, happy, friendly; also (abstractly) welfare, i.e. health, prosperity, peace[idiom] do, familiar, [idiom] fare, favour, [phrase] friend, [idiom] great, (good) health, ([idiom] perfect, such as be at) peace(-able, -ably), prosper(-ity, -ous), rest, safe(-ty), salute, welfare, ([idiom] all is, be) well, [idiom] whol…אֶתetamongאֵתpreposition — “among”H854properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc.against, among, before, by, for, from, in(-to), (out) of, with. Often with another prepositional prefix.רֵעֵ֨הוּ֙reehvbrotherרֵעַnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “brother”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7453an associate (more or less close)brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover, neighbour, [idiom] (an-) other.יְדַבֵּ֔רyedaberspeakדָבַרverb, piel, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “speak”, an unfinished actionH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.וּבְקִרְבּ֖וֹuveqirbvoand in bowelsקֶרֶבconjunction, preposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and in bowels”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7130properly, the nearest part, i.e. the center, whether literal, figurative or adverbial (especially with preposition)[idiom] among, [idiom] before, bowels, [idiom] unto charge, [phrase] eat (up), [idiom] heart, [idiom] him, [idiom] in, inward ([idiom] -ly, part, -s, thought), midst, [phrase] out of, purtenance, [idiom] therein, [idiom] through, [idiom] w…יָשִׂ֥יםyasimputשׂוּםverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “put”, an unfinished actionH7760to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)[idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase]…אָרְבּֽוֹarebvowaitאֹרֶבnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “wait”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH696{ambuscade}wait.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(9-7) Their tongue is a sharpened arrow, it speaketh deceit; one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in his heart he layeth wait for him.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in his heart he layeth wait for him.

Young’s Literal Translation

A slaughtering arrow [is] their tongue, Deceit it hath spoken in its mouth, Peace with its neighbour it speaketh, And in its heart it layeth its ambush,

World English Bible

Their tongue is a deadly arrow. It speaks deceit. One speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in his heart, he waits to ambush him.

Darby Translation

Their tongue is a murderous arrow; it speaketh deceit. [A man] speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in his heart he layeth his ambush.

Douay-Rheims

Their tongue is a piercing arrow, it hath spoken deceit: with his mouth one speaketh peace with his friend, and secretly he lieth in wait for him.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(9-7) Their tongue is a sharpened arrow, it speaketh deceit; one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in his heart he layeth wait for him.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Their tongue is a wounding arrow; the words of their mouth are deceitful: one speaks peaceably to his neighbour, but in himself retains enmity.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Βολὶς τιτρώσκουσα ἡ γλῶσσα αὐτῶν, δόλια τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ στόματος αὐτῶν· τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ λαλεῖ εἰρηνικὰ, καὶ ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἔχει τὴν ἔχθραν.