Their tongue is an arrow shot out; It speaks deceit; One speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, But in his heart he lies in wait.
Parallel translations
- WEB Their tongue is a deadly arrow. It speaks deceit. One speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in his heart, he lays wait for him.
- KJV Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait.
- BSB Their tongues are deadly arrows; they speak deception. With his mouth a man speaks peace to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets a trap for him.
- NASB “Their tongue is a deadly arrow; It speaks deceit; With his mouth one speaks peace to his neighbor, But inwardly he sets an ambush for him.
- NLT For their tongues shoot lies like poisoned arrows. They speak friendly words to their neighbors while scheming in their heart to kill them.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Their tongues are deadly arrows: they speak peace outwardly while plotting harm inwardly. Their friendliness masks treachery.
Overview
God exposes the hypocrisy of speech that sounds neighborly but conceals an ambush in the heart. The deadly-arrow image stresses how destructive such two-faced words are. The verse condemns the gap between outward profession and inward intent, the very kind of hypocrisy Jesus repeatedly denounced and which the gospel cures by making the heart new.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Ps 28:3Don’t draw me away with the wicked, with the workers of iniquity who speak peace with their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts.
- Prov 26:24–26A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but he harbors evil in his heart.
- Ps 120:3What will be given to you, and what will be done more to you, you deceitful tongue?
- 2 Sam 3:27When Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him quietly, and struck him there in the body, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.
- Ps 55:21His mouth was smooth as butter, but his heart was war. His words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.
- 2 Sam 20:9–10Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my brother?” Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
- Ps 57:4My soul is among lions. I lie among those who are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
- Jer 9:3“They bend their tongue, as their bow, for falsehood; and they have grown strong in the land, but not for truth: for they proceed from evil to evil, and they don’t know me,” says Yahweh.
- Ps 64:3–4who sharpen their tongue like a sword, and aim their arrows, deadly words,
- Ps 12:2Everyone lies to his neighbor. They speak with flattering lips, and with a double heart.
- Ps 64:8Their own tongues shall ruin them. All who see them will shake their heads.
- Jer 5:26For among my people are found wicked men. They watch, as fowlers lie in wait. They set a trap. They catch men.
- Jer 9:5Everyone will deceive their neighbors, and will not speak the truth. They have taught their tongue to speak lies. They weary themselves commiting iniquity.
- Matt 26:48–49Now he who betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, “Whoever I kiss, he is the one. Seize him.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Against the failure of false shepherds Jeremiah promises the Righteous Branch, 'The LORD our righteousness,' and the new covenant written on the heart and sealed in the blood of Christ.
How Jeremiah 9:8 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.