PRO 26

Proverbs 26:24

WEB

A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but he harbors evil in his heart.

BSB

A hateful man disguises himself with his speech, but he lays up deceit in his heart.

KJV

He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him;

Matthew Henry

Verses 24–26

Proverbs 26:24–26

There is cause to complain, not only of the want of sincerity in men's profession of friendship, and that they do not love so well as they pretend nor will serve their friends so much as they promise, but, which is much worse, of wicked designs in the profession of friendship, and the making of it subservient to the most malicious intentions. This is here spoken of as a common thing (Pro 26:24): He that hates his neighbour, and is contriving to do him a mischief, yet dissembles with his lips, professes to have a respect for him and to be ready to serve him, talks kindly with him, as Cain with Abel, asks, Art thou in health, my brother? as Joab to Amasa, that his malice may not be suspected and guarded against, and so he may have the fairer opportunity to execute the purposes of it, this man lays up deceit within him, that is, he keeps in his mind the mischief he intends to do his neighbour till he catches him at an advantage. This is malice which has no less of the subtlety than it has of the venom of the old serpent in it. Now, as to this matter, we are here cautioned, 1. Not to be so foolish as to suffer ourselves to be imposed upon by the pretensions of friendship. Remember to distrust when a man speaks fair; be not too forward to believe him unless you know him well, for it is possible there may be seven abominations in his heart, a great many projects of mischief against you, which he is labouring so industriously to conceal with his fair speech. Satan is an enemy that hates us, and yet in his temptations speaks fair, as he did to Eve, but it is madness to give credit to him, for there are seven abominations in his heart; seven other spirits does one unclean spirit bring more wicked than himself. 2. Not to be so wicked as to impose upon any with a profession of friendship; for, though the fraud may be carried on plausibly awhile, it will be brought to light, Pro 26:26. He whose hatred is covered by deceit will one time or other be discovered, and his wickedness shown, to his shame and confusion, before the whole congregation; and nothing will do more to make a man odious to all companies. Love (says one) is the best armour, but the worst cloak, and will serve dissemblers as the disguise which Ahab put on and perished in.

Cross-references: Prov 26:24 · Prov 26:26

Hebrew interlinear

H8193

שָׂפָהsâphâh/saw-faw'/

n-f — lip, language, margin

Derivation: or (in dual and plural) שֶׂפֶת; probably from 5595 or 8192 through the idea of termination (compare 5490);

the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language; by analogy, a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.)

KJV: band, bank, binding, border, brim, brink, edge, language, lip, prating, (sea-)shore, side, speech, talk, (vain) words.

שָׂפָה

n.f — lip

שָׂפָה 176 n.f. lip, speech, edge

1. lip

2. language

3. edge: shore of sea; bank of river

H5234

נָכַרnâkar/naw-kar'/

v — scrutinize, recognition, acknowledge, be acquainted with, care for, respect, revere, disregard, ignore, be strange, reject, resign, dissimulate

Derivation: a primitive root;

properly, to scrutinize, i.e. look intently at; hence (with recognition implied), to acknowledge, be acquainted with, care for, respect, revere, or (with suspicion implied), to disregard, ignore, be strange toward, reject, resign, dissimulate (as if ignorant or disowning)

KJV: acknowledge, × could, deliver, discern, dissemble, estrange, feign self to be another, know, take knowledge (notice), perceive, regard, (have) respect, behave (make) self strange(-ly).

נכר

vb. denom — act as foreign

[נכר] vb. denom. act or treat as foreign, or strange; disguise, misconstrue

Niph. with his lips a hater disguiseth himself

Pi. and they have treated this place as foreign

Hithp. he acted as a stranger toward them

נָכַר

vb — regard

[נָכַר] vb. (not Qal) regard, recognize

Niph. they are not recognized

Pi. he regardeth not the opulent above the poor

Hiph.

1. regard, observe, esp. with a view to recognition

2. Recognize (as formerly known)

3. Be willing to recognize, acknowledge

4. Be acquianted with

5. Distinguish, understand

Hithp. Impf by his deeds a youth maketh himself known, whether his doing be pure, etc.

H8130

שָׂנֵאsânêʼ/saw-nay'/

v — hate

Derivation: a primitive root;

to hate (personally)

KJV: enemy, foe, (be) hate(-ful, -r), odious, × utterly.

שָׂנֵא

vb — hate

שָׂנֵא 145 vb. hate

Qal 128 hate

Niph. is hated

Pi. enemy

H7130

קֶרֶבqereb/keh'-reb/

n-m — nearest, center

Derivation: from 7126;

properly, the nearest part, i.e. the center, whether literal, figurative or adverbial (especially with preposition)

KJV: × among, × before, bowels, × unto charge, eat (up), × heart, × him, × in, inward (× -ly, part, -s, thought), midst, out of, purtenance, × therein, × through, × within self.

קֶ֫רֶב

n.[m.] — inward part

קֶ֫רֶב 227 n.[m.] inward part, midst

H7896

שִׁיתshîyth/sheeth/

v — place

Derivation: a primitive root;

to place (in a very wide application)

KJV: apply, appoint, array, bring, consider, lay (up), let alone, × look, make, mark, put (on), regard, set, shew, be stayed, × take.

שִׁית

vb — put

שִׁית vb. put, set

Qal

1. put, lay

2.

a. set, station

b. set one's mind to, give heed, attention

c. set, fix

3. constitute, make one something

4. internally trans., = take one's stand

Hoph. if a ransom be imposed

H4820

מִרְמָהmirmâh/meer-maw'/

n-f — fraud

Derivation: from 7411 in the sense of deceiving;

fraud

KJV: craft, deceit(-ful, -fully), false, feigned, guile, subtilly, treachery.

מִרְמָה

n.f — deceit

מִרְמָה n.f. deceit, treachery

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