King James Version

Proverbs 20:17

Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

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Hebrew

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עָרֵ֣בarevsweetעָרֵבadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “sweet”, the ordinary formH6156pleasantsweet.לָ֭אִישׁlaishto a certainאִישׁpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “to a certain”, the ordinary formH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…לֶ֣חֶםlechembreadלֶחֶםnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “bread”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3899food (for man or beast), especially bread, or grain (for making it)(shew-) bread, [idiom] eat, food, fruit, loaf, meat, victuals.שָׁ֑קֶרshaqerwithout a causeשֶׁקֶרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “without a cause”, the ordinary formH8267an untruth; by implication, a sham (often adverbial)without a cause, deceit(-ful), false(-hood, -ly), feignedly, liar, [phrase] lie, lying, vain (thing), wrongfully.וְ֝אַחַ֗רveacharand afterאַחַרconjunction, adverb — “and after”H310properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses)after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, [phrase] out (over) live, [phrase] persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, the…יִמָּֽלֵאyimalebe at an endמָלֵאverb, niphal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be at an end”, an unfinished actionH4390to fill or (intransitively) be full of, in a wide application (literally and figuratively)accomplish, confirm, [phrase] consecrate, be at an end, be expired, be fenced, fill, fulfil, (be, become, [idiom] draw, give in, go) full(-ly, -ly set, tale), (over-) flow, fulness, furnish, gather (selves, together), presume, replenish, s…פִ֥יהוּfihvedgeפֶּהnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “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…חָצָֽץchatsatsarrowחָצָץnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “arrow”, the ordinary formH2687properly, something cutting; hence, gravel (as grit); an arrowarrow, gravel (stone).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man; But afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

Young’s Literal Translation

Sweet to a man [is] the bread of falsehood, And afterwards is his mouth filled [with] gravel.

World English Bible

Fraudulent food is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth is filled with gravel.

Darby Translation

Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

Douay-Rheims

The bread of lying is sweet to a man: but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)