Psalms 12:2

12:2 People lie to one another; ¹ 

they flatter and deceive. ² 

Psalms 55:21

55:21 His words are as smooth as butter, ³ 

but he harbors animosity in his heart. ⁴ 

His words seem softer than oil,

but they are really like sharp swords. ⁵ 

Psalms 62:4

62:4 They ⁶  spend all their time planning how to bring him ⁷  down. ⁸ 

They love to use deceit; ⁹ 

they pronounce blessings with their mouths,

but inwardly they utter curses. ¹⁰  (Selah)

Jeremiah 9:8-9

9:8 Their tongues are like deadly arrows. ¹¹ 

They are always telling lies. ¹² 

Friendly words for their neighbors come from their mouths.

But their minds are thinking up ways to trap them. ¹³ 

9:9 I will certainly punish them for doing such things!” says the Lord.

“I will certainly bring retribution on such a nation as this!” ¹⁴ 

Micah 3:5

3:5 This is what the Lord says: “The prophets who mislead my people

are as good as dead. ¹⁵ 

If someone gives them enough to eat,

they offer an oracle of peace. ¹⁶ 

But if someone does not give them food,

they are ready to declare war on him. ¹⁷ 

Matthew 22:15-18

Paying Taxes to Caesar

22:15 Then the Pharisees ¹⁸  went out and planned together to entrap him with his own words. ¹⁹  22:16 They sent to him their disciples along with the Herodians, ²⁰  saying, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful, and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. ²¹  You do not court anyone’s favor because you show no partiality. ²²  22:17 Tell us then, what do you think? Is it right ²³  to pay taxes ²⁴  to Caesar ²⁵  or not?”

22:18 But Jesus realized their evil intentions and said, “Hypocrites! Why are you testing me?

[12:2]  ¹ tn Heb “falsehood they speak, a man with his neighbor.” The imperfect verb forms in v. 2 describe what is typical in the psalmist’s experience.

[12:2]  ² tn Heb “[with] a lip of smoothness, with a heart and a heart they speak.” Speaking a “smooth” word refers to deceptive flattery (cf. Ps 5:9; 55:21; Prov 2:16; 5:3; 7:5, 21; 26:28; 28:23; Isa 30:10). “Heart” here refers to their mind, from which their motives and intentions originate. The repetition of the noun indicates diversity (see GKC 396 §123.f, IBHS 116 §7.2.3c, and Deut 25:13, where the phrase “weight and a weight” refers to two different measuring weights). These people have two different types of “hearts.” Their flattering words seem to express kind motives and intentions, but this outward display does not really reflect their true motives. Their real “heart” is filled with evil thoughts and destructive intentions. The “heart” that is seemingly displayed through their words is far different from the real “heart” they keep disguised. (For the idea see Ps 28:3.) In 1 Chr 12:33 the phrase “without a heart and a heart” means “undivided loyalty.”

[55:21]  ³ tn Heb “the butter-like [words] of his mouth are smooth.” The noun מַחְמָאֹת (makhma’ot, “butter-like [words]”) occurs only here. Many prefer to emend the form to מֵחֶמְאָה (mekhem’ah, from [i.e., “than”] butter”), cf. NEB, NRSV “smoother than butter.” However, in this case “his mouth” does not agree in number with the plural verb חָלְקוּ (kholqu, “they are smooth”). Therefore some further propose an emendation of פִּיו (piv, “his mouth”) to פָּנָיו (panayv, “his face”). In any case, the point seems to that the psalmist’s former friend spoke kindly to him and gave the outward indications of friendship.

[55:21]  ⁴ tn Heb “and war [is in] his heart.”

[55:21]  ⁵ tn Heb “his words are softer than oil, but they are drawn swords.”

[62:4]  ⁶ tn That is, the psalmist’s enemies addressed in the previous verse.

[62:4]  ⁷ tn That is, the generic “man” referred to in the previous verse.

[62:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “only from his lofty place [or perhaps, “dignity”] they plan to drive [him] away.”

[62:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “they delight [in] a lie.”

[62:4]  ¹⁰ sn The enemies use deceit to bring down their victim. They make him think they are his friends by pronouncing blessings upon him, but inwardly they desire his demise.

[9:8]  ¹¹ tc This reading follows the Masoretic consonants (the Kethib, a Qal active participle from שָׁחַט, shakhat). The Masoretes preferred to read “a sharpened arrow” (the Qere, a Qal passive participle from the same root or a homonym, meaning “hammered, beaten”). See HALOT 1354 s.v. II שָׁחַט for discussion. The exact meaning of the word makes little difference to the meaning of the metaphor itself.

[9:8]  ¹² tn Heb “They speak deceit.”

[9:8]  ¹³ tn Heb “With his mouth a person speaks peace to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets an ambush for him.”

[9:9]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Should I not punish them…? Should I not bring retribution…?” The rhetorical questions function as emphatic declarations.

[3:5]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “concerning the prophets, those who mislead my people.” The first person pronominal suffix is awkward in a quotation formula that introduces the words of the Lord. For this reason some prefer to begin the quotation after “the Lord says” (cf. NIV), but this leaves “concerning the prophets” hanging very awkwardly at the beginning of the quotation. It is preferable to add הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) at the beginning of the quotation, right after the graphically similar יְהוָה (yÿhvah; see D. R. Hillers, Micah [Hermeneia], 44). The phrase הוֹי עַל (hoy ’al, “woe upon”) occurs in Jer 50:27 and Ezek 13:3 (with “the prophets” following the preposition in the latter instance).

[3:5]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “those who bite with their teeth and cry out, ‘peace.’” The phrase “bite with the teeth” is taken here as idiomatic for eating. Apparently these prophets were driven by mercenary motives. If they were paid well, they gave positive oracles to their clients, but if someone could not afford to pay them, they were hostile and delivered oracles of doom.

[3:5]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “but [as for the one] who does not place [food] in their mouths, they prepare for war against him.”

[22:15]  ¹⁸ sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

[22:15]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “trap him in word.”

[22:16]  ²⁰ sn The Herodians are mentioned in the NT only once in Matt (22:16 = Mark 12:13) and twice in Mark (3:6; 12:13; some mss also read “Herodians” instead of “Herod” in Mark 8:15). It is generally assumed that as a group the Herodians were Jewish supporters of the Herodian dynasty (or of Herod Antipas in particular). In every instance they are linked with the Pharisees. This probably reflects agreement regarding political objectives (nationalism as opposed to submission to the yoke of Roman oppression) rather than philosophy or religious beliefs.

[22:16]  ²¹ sn Teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Very few comments are as deceitful as this one; they did not really believe this at all. The question of the Pharisees and Herodians was specifically designed to trap Jesus.

[22:16]  ²² tn Grk “And it is not a concern to you about anyone because you do not see the face of men.”

[22:17]  ²³ tn Or “lawful,” that is, in accordance with God’s divine law. On the syntax of ἔξεστιν (exestin) with an infinitive and accusative, see BDF §409.3.

[22:17]  ²⁴ tn According to L&N 57.180 the term κῆνσος (khnso") was borrowed from Latin and referred to a poll tax, a tax paid by each adult male to the Roman government.

[22:17]  ²⁵ tn Or “to the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).