Job 20:12

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, Though he hide it under his tongue,

Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

אִם־תַּמְתִּ֣יק בְּפִ֣יו רָעָ֑ה יַ֝כְחִידֶ֗נָּה תַּ֣חַת לְשׁוֹנֽוֹ׃

Transliteration

ʾim- tamtîq bĕ- pîw rāʿāh yakḥîdennāh taḥat lĕšônô

Grammar Details

*ʾim-*: conjunction - if
*tamtîq*: hifil imperfect, 3rd feminine singular - it is sweet
*bĕ-*: preposition - in
*pîw*: noun, masculine singular with 3rd masculine singular suffix - his mouth
*rāʿāh*: noun, feminine singular - evil
*yakḥîdennāh*: hifil imperfect, 3rd masculine singular with 3rd feminine singular suffix - he hides it
*taḥat*: preposition - under
*lĕšônô*: noun, feminine singular with 3rd masculine singular suffix - his tongue

Word Meanings

*tamtîq*: is sweet/tastes good/is pleasant
*pîw*: his mouth/his speech
*rāʿāh*: evil/wickedness/wrong
*yakḥîdennāh*: he hides it/he conceals it/he keeps it secret
*lĕšônô*: his tongue/his language

ℹ️

About this Translation

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Formal EquivalenceSource: American Standard VersionBest for: Word studies and original-language research

🎯 Translation Approach

A highly literal, word-for-word translation (ASV, 1901) augmented with Strong's numbering to connect English words to underlying Hebrew and Greek terms for study.

Word-for-word

5/5

Readability

2/5

💎 Distinctive Features

Integrated Strong's numbering: Links English terms to underlying Hebrew and Greek words for deeper lexical study.
Formal equivalence: Prioritizes close alignment with source-language forms and structures.
Divine name rendering: Frequently renders the Tetragrammaton as Jehovah in the Old Testament, following ASV tradition.
Study-focused formatting: Optimized for reference and research rather than casual reading.

✅ Strengths

High fidelity to original languages
Includes Strong's numbers for precise word study
Consistent lexical choices aid exegesis
Stable, longstanding scholarly text

⚠️ Considerations

Archaic language reduces readability
Older textual basis compared to some modern translations
Strong's numbers are a concordance index, not full lexical definitions

👥 Who is this for?

Ideal for

Pastors and teachers
Seminary students
Serious Bible students
Readers conducting word studies
Those referencing Hebrew/Greek tools

Consider alternatives for

Casual readers
Children and early teens
ESL learners seeking simple English
Readers preferring contemporary language

🔄 Compare with

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Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

Job 15:16 : 16 How much less one that is abominable and corrupt, A man that drinketh iniquity like water!
Ps 10:7 : 7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression: Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.
Ps 109:17-18 : 17 Yea, he loved cursing, and it came unto him; And he delighted not in blessing, and it was far from him. 18 He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment, And it came into his inward parts like water, And like oil into his bones.
Prov 9:17-18 : 17 Stolen waters are sweet, And bread [eaten] in secret is pleasant. 18 But he knoweth not that the dead are there; That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
Prov 20:17 : 17 Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man; But afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
Eccl 11:9 : 9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.
Gen 3:6 : 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

Job 20:13-16
4 verses
86%
13Though he spare it, and will not let it go, But keep it still within his mouth;
14Yet his food in his bowels is turned, It is the gall of asps within him.
15He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again; God will cast them out of his belly.
16He shall suck the poison of asps: The viper's tongue shall slay him.
Ps 10:7
78%
7His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression: Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.
Job 20:11
78%
11His bones are full of his youth, But it shall lie down with him in the dust.
Ps 36:2-4
3 verses
75%
2For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, That his iniquity will not be found out and be hated.
3The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: He hath ceased to be wise [and] to do good.
4He deviseth iniquity upon his bed; He setteth himself in a way that is not good; He abhorreth not evil.
Prov 20:17
75%
17Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man; But afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
Ps 50:19
74%
19Thou givest thy mouth to evil, And thy tongue frameth deceit.
Rom 3:13-14
2 verses
73%
13Their throat is an open sepulchre; With their tongues they have used deceit: The poison of asps is under their lips:
14Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
Ps 34:13
73%
13Keep thy tongue from evil, And thy lips from speaking guile.
Job 6:30
73%
30Is there injustice on my tongue? Cannot my taste discern mischievous things?
Prov 26:26
73%
26Though [his] hatred cover itself with guile, His wickedness shall be openly showed before the assembly.
Prov 26:24
73%
24He that hateth dissembleth with his lips; But he layeth up deceit within him:
Ps 5:9
72%
9For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; Their inward part is very wickedness; Their throat is an open sepulchre; They flatter with their tongue.
Prov 9:17
72%
17Stolen waters are sweet, And bread [eaten] in secret is pleasant.
Ps 37:12
72%
12The wicked plotteth against the just, And gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
Job 15:5
72%
5For thine iniquity teacheth thy mouth, And thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.
Prov 17:20
72%
20He that hath a wayward heart findeth no good; And he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief.
Prov 17:4
72%
4An evil-doer giveth heed to wicked lips; [And] a liar giveth ear to a mischievous tongue.
Ps 52:2
72%
2Thy tongue deviseth very wickedness, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
Prov 16:30
72%
30He that shutteth his eyes, [it is] to devise perverse things: He that compresseth his lips bringeth evil to pass.
Prov 23:8
71%
8The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, And lose thy sweet words.
Prov 22:18
71%
18For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee, If they be established together upon thy lips.
Ps 52:4
71%
4Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.
Prov 24:13
71%
13My son, eat thou honey, for it is good; And the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to thy taste:
Ps 112:10
71%
10The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; He shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: The desire of the wicked shall perish.
Ps 59:12
70%
12[ For] the sin of their mouth, [and] the words of their lips, Let them even be taken in their pride, And for cursing and lying which they speak.
Prov 10:32
70%
32The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable; But the mouth of the wicked [speaketh] perverseness.
Ps 55:21
70%
21His mouth was smooth as butter, But his heart was war: His words were softer than oil, Yet were they drawn swords.
Prov 16:27
70%
27A worthless man deviseth mischief; And in his lips there is as a scorching fire.
1 Pet 3:10
70%
10For, He that would love life, And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips that they speak no guile:
Prov 24:2
70%
2For their heart studieth oppression, And their lips talk of mischief.
Prov 10:18
70%
18He that hideth hatred is of lying lips; And he that uttereth a slander is a fool.
Prov 13:2
70%
2A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth; But the soul of the treacherous [shall eat] violence.
Prov 8:7
70%
7For my mouth shall utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
Job 20:20
70%
20Because he knew no quietness within him, He shall not save aught of that wherein he delighteth.
Job 20:26
70%
26All darkness is laid up for his treasures: A fire not blown [by man] shall devour him; It shall consume that which is left in his tent.
Prov 30:20
70%
20So is the way of an adulterous woman; She eateth, and wipeth her mouth, And saith, I have done no wickedness.
Prov 6:12
70%
12A worthless person, a man of iniquity, Is he that walketh with a perverse mouth;
Prov 26:28
70%
28A lying tongue hateth those whom it hath wounded; And a flattering mouth worketh ruin.
Prov 12:22
70%
22Lying lips are an abomination to Jehovah; But they that deal truly are his delight.
Prov 27:7
70%
7The full soul loatheth a honeycomb; But to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
Prov 12:12
70%
12The wicked desireth the net of evil men; But the root of the righteous yieldeth [fruit].
Prov 10:20
70%
20The tongue of the righteous is [as] choice silver: The heart of the wicked is little worth.
Job 24:20
69%
20The womb shall forget him; The worm shall feed sweetly on him; He shall be no more remembered; And unrighteousness shall be broken as a tree.
Prov 12:20
69%
20Deceit is in the heart of them that devise evil; But to the counsellors of peace is joy.