Bible Strands
Psalms 55:21
His speech is smooth as butter, but war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are swords unsheathed.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses God concerning a treacherous companion who violates covenants and attacks friends. This warning about betrayal immediately precedes the command to cast burdens on the Lord.
The words — חָלְקוּ (chal.Ku) = they were smooth; רַכּוּ (ra.Ku) = they were soft. These terms describe the outward gentleness of the companion’s speech.
The thread — Proverbs 5:3 pairs honey-dripping lips with speech smoother than oil. Psalms 28:3 contrasts spoken peace with concealed malice. Both passages track the pattern of deceptive gentleness masking hostility.
Why it lands — The text demands discernment between outwardly gentle words and concealed hostility. It directs the reader to reject reliance on treacherous companions and trust divine sustenance instead.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.
Cross-references
- Psalms 57:4 My soul is among the lions; I lie down with ravenous beasts—with men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.
- Proverbs 5:3 Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey and her speech is smoother than oil,
- Psalms 28:3 Do not drag me away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, who speak peace to their neighbors while malice is in their hearts.
- Proverbs 26:28 A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth causes ruin.
- Psalms 12:2 They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart.
- Psalms 64:3 who sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their bitter words like arrows,
- Proverbs 26:24 A hateful man disguises himself with his speech, but he lays up deceit in his heart.
- Luke 20:20 So they watched Him closely and sent spies who pretended to be sincere. They were hoping to catch Him in His words in order to hand Him over to the rule and authority of the governor.
- Psalms 62:4 They fully intend to cast him down from his lofty perch; they delight in lies; with their mouths they bless, but inwardly they curse. Selah
- Proverbs 12:18 Speaking rashly is like a piercing sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.