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Friday, July 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

Brenton's Septuagint

Proverbs 16:27

But the perverse bears destruction upon his own mouth: a foolish man digs up evil for himself, and treasures fire on his own lips.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Character;   Speaking;   The Topic Concordance - Evil;   Speech/communication;   Ungodliness;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Character of the Wicked;   Fire;  

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of;   Word;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Belial (Beliar);   Lip;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Fire;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Fire;   Slander;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Belial;   Fire;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
A worthless person digs up evil,and his speech is like a scorching fire.
Hebrew Names Version
A worthless man devises mischief. His speech is like a scorching fire.
King James Version
An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.
English Standard Version
A worthless man plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire.
New American Standard Bible
A worthless person digs up evil, While his words are like scorching fire.
New Century Version
Useless people make evil plans, and their words are like a burning fire.
Amplified Bible
A worthless man devises and digs up evil, And the words on his lips are like a scorching fire.
World English Bible
A worthless man devises mischief. His speech is like a scorching fire.
Geneva Bible (1587)
A wicked man diggeth vp euill, and in his lippes is like burning fire.
Legacy Standard Bible
A vile man digs up evil,And the words on his lips are like scorching fire.
Berean Standard Bible
A worthless man digs up evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire.
Contemporary English Version
Worthless people plan trouble. Even their words burn like a flaming fire.
Complete Jewish Bible
A worthless person digs up evil [gossip] — it is like scorching fire on his lips.
Darby Translation
A man of Belial diggeth up evil, and on his lips there is as a scorching fire.
Easy-to-Read Version
Troublemakers create disasters. Their advice destroys like a wildfire.
George Lamsa Translation
An ungodly man devises evil; out of his mouth issues a burning fire.
Good News Translation
Evil people look for ways to harm others; even their words burn with evil.
Lexham English Bible
A man of wickedness concocts evil, and his lips are like a scorching fire.
Literal Translation
A worthless man plots evil, and on his lips it is like a burning fire.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
An vngodly personne stereth vp euell, and in his lippes he is as an whote burnynge fyre.
American Standard Version
A worthless man deviseth mischief; And in his lips there is as a scorching fire.
Bible in Basic English
A good-for-nothing man is a designer of evil, and in his lips there is a burning fire.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
An ungodly man diggeth up evil, and in his lips there is as a burning fire.
King James Version (1611)
An vngodly man diggeth vp euill: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
An vngodly person stirreth vp euyll, and in his lippes he is as an hotte burnyng fyre.
English Revised Version
A worthless man deviseth mischief: and in his lips there is as a scorching fire.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
An vnwijs man diggith yuel; and fier brenneth in hise lippis.
Update Bible Version
A worthless man devises mischief; And in his lips there is as a scorching fire.
Webster's Bible Translation
An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips [there is] as a burning fire.
New English Translation
A wicked scoundrel digs up evil, and his slander is like a scorching fire.
New King James Version
An ungodly man digs up evil, And it is on his lips like a burning fire.
New Living Translation
Scoundrels create trouble; their words are a destructive blaze.
New Life Bible
A man of no worth looks for wrong-doing. His words are like burning fire.
New Revised Standard
Scoundrels concoct evil, and their speech is like a scorching fire.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
An abandoned man, diggeth up mischief, - and, upon his lips, as it were a fire is scorching.
Douay-Rheims Bible
The wicked man diggeth evil, and in his lips is a burning fire.
Revised Standard Version
A worthless man plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire.
Young's Literal Translation
A worthless man is preparing evil, And on his lips -- as a burning fire.
THE MESSAGE
Mean people spread mean gossip; their words smart and burn.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
A worthless man digs up evil, While his words are like scorching fire.

Contextual Overview

27 But the perverse bears destruction upon his own mouth: a foolish man digs up evil for himself, and treasures fire on his own lips. 28 A perverse man spreads mischief, and will kindle a torch of deceit with mischiefs; and he separates friends.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

An ungodly man: Heb. a man of Belial, 1 Samuel 25:17, 2 Samuel 20:1

diggeth: Proverbs 2:4, Psalms 17:14, Psalms 17:15, Isaiah 5:18, Habakkuk 2:13

in: Psalms 52:2-4, Psalms 57:4, James 3:6

Reciprocal: Psalms 119:85 - The proud Psalms 120:4 - Sharp Proverbs 10:12 - Hatred Proverbs 16:30 - moving Proverbs 18:6 - fool's

Gill's Notes on the Bible

An ungodly man diggeth up evil,.... Or "a man of Belial" p, a worthless unprofitable man; a man without a yoke, not obedient to the law of God; such a man digs for sin as for a treasure; nor need he go far for it, he has enough in his own heart, out of the evil treasure of which he brings forth evil things; though he is more solicitious and diligent to search into the sins of others, and dig up them, which have long lain buried; as the Manichees raked up the sins of Austin in his youth; and as the Papists served Beza: but perhaps the evil of mischief is here rather intended, which a wicked man contrives and devises; a ditch he digs for others, though oftentimes he falls into it himself; and so the Septuagint and Arabic versions render it, "digs evils for himself"; not intentionally but eventually; see Psalms 7:15;

and in his lips [there is] as a burning fire; his tongue is a fire, it is set on fire of hell, and it sets on fire the course of nature; and with its lies, calumnies, and detractions, devours and consumer the good names, characters, and credit of men; and deserves no other than sharp arrows of the Almighty, and coals of juniper; even the everlasting fire and flames of hell, James 3:6.

p איש בליעל "vir Belijahal", Montanus, Tigurine version, Mercerus.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The four verses speak of the same thing, and the well-known opprobrious name, the “man of Belial,” stands at the head as stigmatizing the man who delights in causing the mischief of which they treat.

Diggeth up evil - i. e., Digs an evil pit for others to fall into. Compare Psalms 7:15.

Proverbs 16:30

The physiognomy of the man of Belial, the half-closed eyes that never look you straight in the face, the restlessness or cunning of which biting the lips is the surest indication. Compare Proverbs 6:13.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 16:27. An ungodly man diggeth up evil — How will the following suit?

Effodiuntur opes irritamenta malorum

"Wealth, the incitement to all evil, is digged up

out the earth."


A wicked man labours as much to bring about an evil purpose, as the quarryman does to dig up stones.

In his lips-a burning fire. — His words are as inflammable, in producing strife and contention among his neighbours, as fire is in igniting dry stubble.


 
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