Psalms 55:21

55:21 His words are as smooth as butter, ¹ 

but he harbors animosity in his heart. ² 

His words seem softer than oil,

but they are really like sharp swords. ³ 

Psalms 64:6

64:6 They devise ⁴  unjust schemes;

they disguise ⁵  a well-conceived plot. ⁶ 

Man’s inner thoughts cannot be discovered. ⁷ 

[55:21]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Heb “and war [is in] his heart.”

[55:21]  ³ tn Heb “his words are softer than oil, but they are drawn swords.”

[64:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “search out, examine,” which here means (by metonymy) “devise.”

[64:6]  ⁵ tc The MT has תַּמְנוּ (tamnu, “we are finished”), a Qal perfect first common plural form from the verbal root תָּמַם (tamam). Some understand this as the beginning of a quotation of the enemies’ words and translate, “we have completed,” but the Hiphil would seem to be required in this case. The present translation follows many medieval Hebrew mss in reading טָמְנוּ (tomnu, “they hide”), a Qal perfect third common plural form from the verbal root טָמַן (taman).

[64:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “a searched-out search,” which is understood as referring here to a thoroughly planned plot to destroy the psalmist.

[64:6]  ⁷ tn Heb “and the inner part of man, and a heart [is] deep.” The point seems to be that a man’s inner thoughts are incapable of being discovered. No one is a mind reader! Consequently the psalmist is vulnerable to his enemies’ well-disguised plots.