Proverbs 26:23 kjv

Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross.

Proverbs 26:23 nkjv

Fervent lips with a wicked heart Are like earthenware covered with silver dross.

Proverbs 26:23 niv

Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart.

Proverbs 26:23 esv

Like the glaze covering an earthen vessel are fervent lips with an evil heart.

Proverbs 26:23 nlt

Smooth words may hide a wicked heart,
just as a pretty glaze covers a clay pot.

Proverbs 26 verses

Proverbs 26 23 Meaning

The verse draws a striking comparison between silver dross coating an earthenware vessel and "fervent" or "smooth" lips paired with an evil heart. Just as dross, an impurity skimmed from silver during refining, may glitter but lacks true value and is merely a superficial overlay on a common, inexpensive pot, so too are words spoken with intensity or polished eloquence worthless and deceptive when they emanate from a heart full of wickedness or malicious intent. It condemns hypocrisy, where outward speech contradicts inward character.

Proverbs 26 23 Context

Proverbs Chapter 26 broadly deals with characteristics of fools, sluggards, and mischievous individuals, offering insights into how wisdom operates in contrast to their foolish ways. It employs vivid similes and metaphors to describe behavior. Verse 23 falls within a section exposing various forms of deceit and malicious intent. The immediate context in 26:22 speaks about gossips' words being like tasty morsels that go down into the inner parts, while 26:24-25 warns about one who hates disguising himself with his lips and speaking deceptively, noting that though his speech is gracious, seven abominations are in his heart. This highlights a prevailing theme of caution against smooth-tongued deception and hypocrisy. Historically and culturally, the image of silver dross on earthenware reflects a common refining process and the everyday use of pottery in ancient Israel, making the deceptive nature of the comparison immediately recognizable to the original audience.

Proverbs 26 23 Word analysis

• Like a coating of silver dross (כֶּסֶף סִיגִים֙ ke·sef si·gim):
  • Like a coating of: Implies a superficial application, something that covers rather than integrates, easily detectable and temporary.
  • silver (כֶּסֶף ke·sef): A precious and valuable metal in ancient times. Here, it is explicitly paired with dross, suggesting a resemblance but lacking the purity and worth of true silver.
  • dross (סִיגִים si·gim): The impurities or refuse that separate from metal during the refining process. It is waste, valueless, and often seen as symbolic of something worthless or discarded (Isa 1:25; Ezek 22:18-19). Its presence on silver indicates lack of purification.
• on an earthenware vessel (עַל־חֶרֶס֙ al che·res):
  • on (al): Upon, implying an external, non-inherent quality.
  • earthenware vessel (חֶרֶס che·res): A common, simple, and relatively cheap pottery item, often made from clay and easily breakable. It contrasts sharply with the precious nature of pure silver. The comparison highlights a base object falsely adorned to appear valuable.
• are fervent lips (שְׂפָתַ֥יִם דֹּֽלְקִ֑ים spha·ta·yim do·le·qim):
  • fervent/smooth lips (שְׂפָתַ֥יִם דֹּֽלְקִ֑ים spha·ta·yim do·le·qim): This is a key interpretive phrase.
    • spha·ta·yim (lips): Dual form, emphasizing the speech organs.
    • do·le·qim: The root (d-l-q) often means "to burn" or "to glow," hence "fervent" (KJV). This could mean passionate, intense, or even inflamed speech. However, in this context, and supported by ancient translations (LXX), many interpret it as "smooth," "polished," "flattering," or "deceptive." The idea is speech that may be superficially appealing or passionate but is not genuine. The contrast with an "evil heart" suggests deception, making "smooth" or "deceitful" a very strong and fitting interpretation by scholars.
• with an evil heart (וְלֶב־רָֽע׃ we·lev ra'):
  • with (we): Implies connection or accompaniment.
  • evil (רָֽע ra'): Morally wicked, malicious, harmful, or corrupt.
  • heart (לֶב lev): In Hebrew thought, the heart is not merely the organ but the seat of intellect, emotion, will, and moral character. This is the true nature of the person, revealing what lies beneath the deceptive exterior.
• Words-group analysis:
  • "Like a coating of silver dross on an earthenware vessel": This whole simile creates a vivid image of a cheap, common item masquerading as something valuable through a superficial and worthless overlay. The dross, while shiny like silver, has no real substance or purity.
  • "are fervent/smooth lips with an evil heart": This describes the person, directly mapping the simile's parts: The "fervent/smooth lips" are the deceptive "silver dross" coating, while the "evil heart" is the underlying, common "earthenware vessel." The structure highlights the inherent discrepancy between the outward words and inward intention. The combination underscores a deep-seated hypocrisy where outward pleasantness masks an internal rot.

Proverbs 26 23 Bonus section

The Hebrew term doleqim (דֹּֽלְקִ֑ים), translated as "fervent" or "smooth," offers a rich interpretative tension. Its primary sense relates to burning or inflaming, which could mean lips that burn with passion (for good or ill) or with angry deceit. However, the context of deceit and a "wicked heart" leads many scholars and ancient versions (like the Septuagint) to lean towards a meaning of "polished," "slippery," or "smooth," indicating flattery or words designed to deceive. This double meaning subtly enhances the proverb's depth, as either passionately deceptive or smoothly manipulative words would perfectly fit the analogy of a worthless, glittering facade. This highlights that regardless of the outward expression – be it intense or suave – if the heart is evil, the words are equally worthless and misleading, functioning only as a deceitful coating. This proverb is a call to align one's inner disposition with one's outward expression, stressing sincerity as a cornerstone of godly character.

Proverbs 26 23 Commentary

Proverbs 26:23 serves as a potent warning against hypocrisy, emphasizing that superficial charm or eloquent speech is utterly worthless, and indeed dangerous, when it flows from a wicked and deceitful heart. It unveils the insidious nature of someone who may appear affable or passionate but secretly harbors malice. Just as applying dross (impurities from refining) to common pottery does not make it silver but merely covers its true nature with a shiny, valueless veneer, so too does smooth or fervent speech, when originating from a corrupted heart, signify profound moral deception rather than true virtue. God looks at the heart (1 Sam 16:7), and the internal state, not the external show, is what truly matters in His sight and for genuine human relationships. This proverb encourages discernment, reminding us to look beyond words to the character from which they originate.

• Example: A politician giving a stirring speech about public service while secretly embezzling funds from the very people he pledges to serve.
• Example: An individual praising another to their face while harboring jealousy and planning to undermine them behind their back.