Psalms 55:21
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.
Study Note
Study Note
'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' — the treacherous friend depicted here has been identified by the superscription and internal evidence as possibly Ahithophel, whose betrayal of David (2 Samuel 15–17) was the original wound that shaped this psalm. The extended antithesis — smooth butter/war, soft oil/drawn swords — captures the experience of intimate betrayal where the same lips that once spoke friendship now conceal lethal intent. Jesus's application of Psalm 41:9 ('he that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me') to Judas's betrayal (John 13:18) places the psalm in the same betrayal-typology that the Gospels apply to the passion narrative.
Other Translations
His mouth was smooth as butter, But his heart was war: His words were softer than oil, Yet were they drawn swords.
Sweeter than honey hath been his mouth, And his heart <FI>is<Fi> war! Softer have been his words than oil, And they <FI>are<Fi> drawn <FI>swords<Fi> .
The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, but they were sharp swords.
Cross References
They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but …
My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of …
Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?
They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but …
Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:
For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:
But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.
There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.
He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him;