King James Version

Psalms 140:3

They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Psalms 140:4.

שָֽׁנֲנ֣וּshananvprickשָׁנַןverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “prick”, a completed actionH8150to point (transitive or intransitive); intensively, to pierce; figuratively, to inculcateprick, sharp(-en), teach diligently, whet.לְשׁוֹנָם֮leshonamtongueלָשׁוֹןnoun, 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.כְּֽמוֹkemvothusכְּמוֹpreposition — “thus”H3644a form of the prefix 'k-', but used separately as, thus, soaccording to, (such) as (it were, well as), in comparison of, like (as, to, unto), thus, when, worth.נָ֫חָ֥שׁnachashserpentנָחָשׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “serpent”, the ordinary formH5175a snake (from its hiss)serpent.חֲמַ֥תchamatangerחֵמָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “anger”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2534heat; figuratively, anger, poison (from its fever)anger, bottles, hot displeasure, furious(-ly, -ry), heat, indignation, poison, rage, wrath(-ful). See H2529 (חֶמְאָה).עַכְשׁ֑וּבakhshuvadderעַכְשׁוּבnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “adder”, the ordinary formH5919an asp (from lurking coiled up)adder.תַּ֖חַתtachatwithתַּחַתpreposition — “with”H8478the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix underneath), in lieu of, etc.as, beneath, [idiom] flat, in(-stead), (same) place (where...is), room, for...sake, stead of, under, [idiom] unto, [idiom] when...was mine, whereas, (where-) fore, with.שְׂפָתֵ֣ימוֹsefateymvolanguageשָׂפָהnoun, common, feminine, dual, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “language”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8193the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language; by analogy, a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.)band, bank, binding, border, brim, brink, edge, language, lip, prating, (sea-)shore, side, speech, talk, (vain) words.סֶֽלָהselahSelahסֶלָהparticle, interjection — “Selah”H5542suspension (of music), i.e. pauseSelah.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(140-4) They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent; vipers' venom is under their lips. Selah

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent; Adders’ poison is under their lips. [Selah

Young’s Literal Translation

They sharpened their tongue as a serpent, Poison of an adder [is] under their lips. Selah.

World English Bible

They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent. Viper’s poison is under their lips. Selah.

Darby Translation

They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.

Douay-Rheims

Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth: and a door round about my lips.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(140-4) They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent; vipers' venom is under their lips. Selah

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

They have sharpened their tongue as the tongue of a serpent; the poison of asps is under their lips. Pause.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἠκόνησαν γλῶσσαν αὐτῶν ὡσεὶ ὄφεως, ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν· διάψαλμα.

Quoted in

Romans 3:13 Romans 3:13 · King James VersionTheir throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:Romans 3:13 · King James VersionOpen the Source
Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: