The Meaning of Proverbs 26:23 Explained

Proverbs 26:23

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

YLT: Silver of dross spread over potsherd, Are burning lips and an evil heart.

Darby: Ardent lips, and a wicked heart, are as an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross.

ASV: Fervent lips and a wicked heart Are like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Proverbs 26:23 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 26

1  observations about fools
13  about sluggards
17  and about contentious busybodies

What do the individual words in Proverbs 26:23 mean?

With silver dross Covered [Are [like] earthenware lips Fervent and with a heart wicked
כֶּ֣סֶף סִ֭יגִים מְצֻפֶּ֣ה עַל־ חָ֑רֶשׂ שְׂפָתַ֖יִם דֹּלְקִ֣ים וְלֶב־ רָֽע

כֶּ֣סֶף  With  silver 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
סִ֭יגִים  dross 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: סוּג 
Sense: a moving back or away.
מְצֻפֶּ֣ה  Covered 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Participle, masculine singular
Root: צָפָה  
Sense: to lay out, lay over, overlay, cover.
עַל־  [Are  [like] 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
חָ֑רֶשׂ  earthenware 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֶרֶשׂ  
Sense: earthenware, clay pottery, shard, potsherd, earthen vessel.
שְׂפָתַ֖יִם  lips 
Parse: Noun, fd
Root: שָׂפָה  
Sense: lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding.
דֹּלְקִ֣ים  Fervent 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: דָּלַק  
Sense: to burn, hotly pursue.
וְלֶב־  and  with  a  heart 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
רָֽע  wicked 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.