Psalms 5:9

“For there is nothing certain in his mouth; their inner being is calamity; an open grave is their throat; with their tongue they flatter.”
Psalms 5:9 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

Forכִּיthere is nothingאֵיןcertainנְכוֹנָהin his mouth;בְּפִיהוּtheir inner beingקִרְבָּםis calamity;הַוּוֹתan openפָּתוּחַgraveקֶבֶרis their throat;גְּרוֹנָםwith their tongueלְשׁוֹנָםthey flatter.יַחֲלִיקוּן

Quotation · Romans 3:13

Go to Romans 3:13

The series continues with Psalm 5:9: “An open grave is their throat; with their tongue they flatter.”

Formula: καθὼς γέγραπται ὅτι “as it is written” (Romans 3:10)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν ταῖς γλώσσαις αὐτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν

Hebrew (Masoretic text): כִּי אֵין בְּפִיהוּ נְכוֹנָה קִרְבָּם הַוּוֹת קֶבֶר פָּתוּחַ גְּרוֹנָם לְשׁוֹנָם יַחֲלִיקוּן

Septuagint (Psalms 5:10 in the Septuagint numbering): ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν ἀλήθεια, ἡ καρδία αὐτῶν ματαία· τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν, ταῖς γλώσσαις αὐτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 9 consecutive words: “τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν ταῖς γλώσσαις αὐτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Psalms 5:9, word by word

certainנְכוֹנָהnechona

be certain

To be true, sure.

Where else “nechona” appears

in his mouthפִיfi

mouth

The part of the face with which one speaks, eats and kisses.

Where else “fi” appears

their inner beingקִרְבָּkirba

inside

One's inner part, one's inmost self.

Where else “kirba” appears

is calamityהַוּוֹתhauot

calamity

A disaster that destroys.

Where else “hauot” appears

an openפָּתוּחַpatuach

open

To open a door, mouth or eyes.

Where else “patuach” appears

graveקֶבֶרkever

tomb

Tomb, grave.

Where else “kever” appears

is their throatגְּרוֹנָgerona

throat

Throat: the part of the neck through which the voice passes and what is swallowed.

Where else “gerona” appears

with their tongueלְשׁוֹנָleshona

tongue

The organ in the mouth used to taste and speak; hence, what one says.

Where else “leshona” appears

they flatterיַחֲלִיקוּyachaliku

flatter

Another word spelled the same: to be slippery, flatter falsely.

Where else “yachaliku” appears

Translation note

“They flatter”: literally “they make their tongue smooth,” that is, they speak softly to deceive. Romans 3:13 quotes this phrase. “In his mouth”: the Hebrew has the singular here (each of them); the rest of the verse has the plural.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Romans 3:13

The series continues with Psalm 5:9: “An open grave is their throat; with their tongue they flatter.”

See them side by side

Psalms 5:9

⁹For there is nothing certain in his mouth; their inner being is calamity; an open grave is their throat; with their tongue they flatter.

Romans 3:13

¹³An open grave is their throat; with their tongues they deceive; the venom of asps is under their lips;

The context

8YHWH, guide me in your righteousness because of those who lie in wait for me; make straight before me your way.

9 · This verse (above)

10Declare them guilty, Elohim; let them fall by their designs. In the abundance of their transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.

Read all of Psalms 5

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