H4260 H4260
Butter-words, smooth or curd-like speech; possibly hypocritical flattery disguising hostile intent
This unusual term appears in Psalm 55:21, in a difficult text describing betrayal: 'smoother than butter are the words of his mouth.' The phrase may describe speech that is smooth like butter or curds—outwardly pleasant but concealing treachery. Some scholars suggest textual corruption, proposing 'smoother than butter is his face' instead. Either reading conveys the same point: the betrayer's surface presentation (words or appearance) seems gentle and friendly, but underneath lies violence. The curd-like smoothness becomes a metaphor for deceptive speech.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Speech characterized by butter-like smoothness, appearing in a psalm about betrayal and false friendship. The term describes words that seem pleasant and soft as butter but conceal hostile intent. Whether original or the result of textual variation, the image captures the deceptive quality of flattering speech that masks violence. The culinary metaphor makes treachery tactile—smooth, slippery words coating hard malice. 1×
AR["مِن-زُبدَةٍ"]·ben["মাখন"]·DE["butter-Worte-von"]·EN["butter-words-of"]·FR["de-beurre"]·heb["מחמאות"]·IT["[מחמאת]"]·jav["asta"]·KO["버터-보다"]·PT["manteiga"]·RU["масличности"]·ES["mantequillas-de"]·SW["siagi"]·TR["tereyağı-"]·urd["مَکھَن"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מַחֲמָאֹת n.f.pl. only (appar. cstr.) חָֽלְקוּ מ׳ פִּיו ψ 55:22, according to Ew De Hup = curd-like (i.e. smooth, hypocritical) words, smooth are the butter-words of his mouth; but read prob. (פניו) פִּיו (or מֵחֶמְאָה) חלק(ו) מֵחֲמָאֹת his face is smoother than curds (Vrss Ki Thes Ol Che Bae We).