King James Version

Proverbs 25:18

A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

מֵפִ֣יץmefitsmaulמֵפִיץnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “maul”, the ordinary formH4650a breaker, i.e. malletmaul.וְ֭חֶרֶבvecherevand knifeחֶרֶבconjunction, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “and knife”, the ordinary formH2719drought; also a cutting instrument (from its destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or other sharp implementaxe, dagger, knife, mattock, sword, tool.וְחֵ֣ץvechetsand arrowחֵץconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and 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.שָׁנ֑וּןshanunprickשָׁנַןverb, qal, passive participle, absolute — “prick”, a verb used as a describing wordH8150to point (transitive or intransitive); intensively, to pierce; figuratively, to inculcateprick, sharp(-en), teach diligently, whet.אִ֥ישׁisha certainאִישׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “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…עֹנֶ֥הonehshoutעָנָהverb, qal, participle, absolute — “shout”, a verb used as a describing wordH6030properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond; by extension to begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout, testify, announcegive account, afflict (by mistake for H6031 (עָנָה)), (cause to, give) answer, bring low (by mistake for H6031 (עָנָה)), cry, hear, Leannoth, lift up, say, [idiom] scholar, (give a) shout, sing (together by course), speak, testify, utter,…בְ֝רֵעֵ֗הוּvereehvin brotherרֵעַpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “in brother”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7453an associate (more or less close)brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover, neighbour, [idiom] (an-) other.עֵ֣דedwitnessעֵדnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “witness”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5707concretely, a witness; abstractly, testimony; specifically, a recorder, i.e. princewitness.שָֽׁקֶרshaqerwithout 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.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

As a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, so is a man that beareth false witness against his neighbour.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

A man that beareth false witness against his neighbor Is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.

Young’s Literal Translation

A maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, [Is] the man testifying against his neighbour a false testimony.

World English Bible

A man who gives false testimony against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.

Darby Translation

A maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, is a man that beareth false witness against his neighbour.

Douay-Rheims

A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour, is like a dart and a sword and a sharp arrow.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

As a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, so is a man that beareth false witness against his neighbour.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

As a club, and a dagger, and a pointed arrow, so also is a man who bears false witness against his friend.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ῥόπαλον καὶ μάχαιρα καὶ τόξευμα ἀκιδωτὸν, οὕτως καὶ ἀνὴρ ὁ καταμαρτυρῶν τοῦ φίλου αὐτοῦ μαρτυρίαν ψευδῆ.