Psalm 140:3
Old Testament • 8 words with Strong's data
"They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah."
Word-by-Word Analysis
שָׁנַן
shânan
to point (transitive or intransitive); intensively, to pierce; figuratively, to inculcate
לָשׁוֹן
lâshôwn
the tongue (of man or animals), used literally (as the instrument of licking, eating, or speech), and figuratively (speech, an ingot, a fork of flame,...
דָּמָה
dâmâh
to compare; by implication, to resemble, liken, consider
אַדֶּרֶת
ʼaddereth
something ample (as a large vine, a wide dress)
חֵמָה
chêmâh
heat; figuratively, anger, poison (from its fever)
שָׂפָה
sâphâh
the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language; by analogy, a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.)
Key Terms in This Verse
שָׁנַן shânan
to point (transitive or intransitive); intensively, to pierce; figuratively, to inculcate
Study H8150 →לָשׁוֹן lâshôwn
the tongue (of man or animals), used literally (as the instrument of licking, eating, or speech), and figuratively (speech, an ingot, a fork of flame, a cove of water)
Study H3956 →שָׂפָה sâphâh
the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language; by analogy, a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.)
Study H8193 →Cross References
Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.
And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.
My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.
Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?
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