The Meaning of Proverbs 27:6 Explained

Proverbs 27:6

KJV: Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

YLT: Faithful are the wounds of a lover, And abundant the kisses of an enemy.

Darby: Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are profuse.

ASV: Faithful are the wounds of a friend; But the kisses of an enemy are profuse.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Faithful  [are] the wounds  of a friend;  but the kisses  of an enemy  [are] deceitful. 

What does Proverbs 27:6 Mean?

Context Summary

Proverbs 27:1-22 - "hearty Counsel"
The keyword in this paragraph is friends, Proverbs 27:6; Proverbs 27:9-10; Proverbs 27:14; Proverbs 27:17; Proverbs 19:1-29. Friends, according to the original sense of the Hebrew word, are those who delight in each other's companionship. Either they are useful to each other because the one possesses gifts that the other lacks, or they have certain tastes in common.
It is in friendship that we get to know ourselves, as a man sees his face in the mirror of calm water, Proverbs 27:19. We unfold to each other; our friend elicits traits of which we were hardly aware. Our sympathy and tenderness are drawn forth by our friend's troubles, as our laughter flashes out to awaken or to answer his high spirits. We shudder to think what cold and undeveloped beings we should be without the sharpening of friendship, Proverbs 27:17. How sweet human friendships are! Proverbs 27:9. Why not find equal confidence and sweetness in the greatest Friend of all? Of course, there is a friendship "which is wholly hypocritical and worthless." Such a friendship is marked by loud and ostentatious demonstration. See Proverbs 27:14. Ponder Christ's offer, John 15:14-15. [source]

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 27

1  observations of self love
5  of true love
11  of care to avoid offenses
23  and of the household care

What do the individual words in Proverbs 27:6 mean?

Faithful [are] the wounds of a friend but [are] deceitful the kisses of an enemy
נֶ֭אֱמָנִים פִּצְעֵ֣י אוֹהֵ֑ב וְ֝נַעְתָּר֗וֹת נְשִׁיק֥וֹת שׂוֹנֵֽא

נֶ֭אֱמָנִים  Faithful  [are] 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: אָמַן 
Sense: to support, confirm, be faithful.
פִּצְעֵ֣י  the  wounds 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: פֶּצַע  
Sense: bruise, wound.
אוֹהֵ֑ב  of  a  friend 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אָהַב  
Sense: to love.
וְ֝נַעְתָּר֗וֹת  but  [are]  deceitful 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Participle, feminine plural
Root: עָתַר  
Sense: to be abundant.
נְשִׁיק֥וֹת  the  kisses 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: נְשִׁיקָה  
Sense: kiss.
שׂוֹנֵֽא  of  an  enemy 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׂנֵא  
Sense: to hate, be hateful.