Psalms
Psalm 55:21–23
21His speech is smooth as butter,
but war is in his heart.
His words are softer than oil,
yet they are swords unsheathed.
22Cast your burden upon the LORD
and He will sustain you;
He will never let the righteous be shaken.
23But You, O God, will bring them down
to the Pit of destruction;
men of bloodshed and deceit
will not live out half their days.
But I will trust in You.
Word by word
Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.
Psalm 55:21
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| His speech | פִּיו֮ | pîw | Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular | H6310 mouth |
| is smooth | חָלְק֤וּ׀ | ḥā·lə·qū | Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural | H2505 divide, share |
| as butter | מַחְמָאֹ֣ת | maḥ·mā·’ōṯ | Noun - feminine plural construct | H4260 buttery, flattery |
| but war | וּֽקֲרָב־ | ū·qă·rāḇ- | Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct | H7128 battle, war |
| is in his heart | לִ֫בּ֥וֹ | lib·bōw | Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular | H3820 inner man, mind, will, heart |
| His words | דְבָרָ֥יו | ḏə·ḇā·rāw | Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular | H1697 speech, word |
| are softer | רַכּ֖וּ | rak·kū | Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural | H7401 be tender, weak, soft |
| than oil | מִשֶּׁ֗מֶן | miš·še·men | Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular | H8081 fat, oil |
| yet they are | וְהֵ֣מָּה | wə·hêm·māh | Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - third person masculine plural | H1992 they, them |
| swords unsheathed | פְתִחֽוֹת׃ | p̄ə·ṯi·ḥō·wṯ | Noun - feminine plural | H6609 drawn sword |
Psalm 55:22
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cast | הַשְׁלֵ֤ךְ | haš·lêḵ | Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular | H7993 throw, fling, cast |
| your burden | יְהָבְךָ֮ | yə·hā·ḇə·ḵā | Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular | H3053 lot |
| upon | עַל־ | ‘al- | Preposition | H5921 height |
| the LORD | יְהוָ֨ה׀ | Yah·weh | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H3068 Yahweh |
| and He | וְה֪וּא | wə·hū | Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - third person masculine singular | H1931 he, she |
| will sustain you | יְכַ֫לְכְּלֶ֥ךָ | yə·ḵal·kə·le·ḵā | Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; second person masculine singular | H3557 comprehend, contain |
| He will never | לֹא־ | lō- | Adverb - Negative particle | H3808 not |
| let | יִתֵּ֖ן | yit·tên | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | H5414 give, put, set |
| the righteous | לַצַּדִּֽיק׃ | laṣ·ṣad·dîq | Preposition-l, Article; Adjective - masculine singular | H6662 just, righteous |
| be shaken | מ֗וֹט | mō·wṭ | Noun - masculine singular | H4131 totter, shake, slip |
Psalm 55:23
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| But You | וְאַתָּ֤ה | wə·’at·tāh | Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - second person masculine singular | H859 thou |
| O God | אֱלֹהִ֨ים׀ | ’ĕ·lō·hîm | Noun - masculine plural | H430 God |
| will bring them down | תּוֹרִדֵ֬ם׀ | tō·w·ri·ḏêm | Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular; third person masculine plural | H3381 come or go down, descend |
| to the Pit | לִבְאֵ֬ר | liḇ·’êr | Preposition-l; Noun - feminine singular construct | H875 well, pit |
| of destruction | שַׁ֗חַת | ša·ḥaṯ | Noun - feminine singular | H7845 pit |
| men | אַנְשֵׁ֤י | ’an·šê | Noun - masculine plural construct | H376 man |
| of bloodshed | דָמִ֣ים | ḏā·mîm | Noun - masculine plural | H1818 blood |
| and deceit | וּ֭מִרְמָה | ū·mir·māh | Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular | H4820 deceit, treachery |
| will not | לֹא־ | lō- | Adverb - Negative particle | H3808 not |
| live out half | יֶחֱצ֣וּ | ye·ḥĕ·ṣū | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | H2673 divide |
| their days | יְמֵיהֶ֑ם | yə·mê·hem | Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural | H3117 day |
| But I | וַ֝אֲנִ֗י | wa·’ă·nî | Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - first person common singular | H589 I |
| will trust | אֶבְטַח־ | ’eḇ·ṭaḥ- | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular | H982 trust |
| in You | בָּֽךְ׃ | bāḵ | Preposition; second person masculine singular |
Cross-references
Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.
Psalm 55:21 Psalm 57:4 · Psalm 28:3 · Proverbs 5:3–4 · Proverbs 26:28 · Psalm 64:3 · Proverbs 26:24–26 · Psalm 12:2 · Luke 20:20–21 · Psalm 62:4 · Matthew 26:25 · Proverbs 12:18 · Psalm 59:7
Psalm 55:22 1 Peter 5:7 · Psalm 37:5 · Philippians 4:6–7 · Matthew 6:25 · Psalm 62:6 · Psalm 16:8 · Psalm 37:24 · Psalm 27:14 · Psalm 62:2 · Matthew 11:28 · Psalm 62:8 · Psalm 63:8
Psalm 55:23 Proverbs 10:27 · Psalm 5:6 · Job 15:32 · Psalm 7:15–16 · Psalm 73:18 · Ecclesiastes 7:17 · Isaiah 38:17 · Matthew 27:4–5
Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.