What Does Proverbs 10:18 Mean in the King James?
He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
Hebrew sets hiding hatred beside bringing slander out, showing two directions for the same hostility: covered over or carried into speech.
THE MEANING
Hatred can remain beneath a false surface, while slander carries it outward in words. The verse calls both moves foolish: disguising hostility does not dissolve it, and voicing an accusation does not make it true.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The verse undoes the belief that hatred becomes harmless when hidden behind polished speech.
THE ROOT
מְכַסֶּה
mekhasseh
GROWS FROM
כסה
כסה (kasah): to cover or conceal.
“hideth” in this verse is mekhasseh. The verse’s first verb is the act of covering: hatred stays beneath the lips’ false surface. Concealment does not remove the hatred; it places a layer over it.
ALSO GROWS
mekhusseh: covered
מְכֻסֶּה
This form uses the same root consonants to describe what lies beneath a covering: hatred remains there, though hidden.
mikhseh: a cover or covering
מִכְסֶה
The related noun makes the covering concrete: lying lips serve as a cover over hostility.
שָׂקֶר
saqer
GROWS FROM
שקר
שקר (sh-q-r): to lie or deal falsely; falsehood.
The same consonants name falsehood as a thing and lying as an act. The lips do not merely carry hostility; they give it a false surface.
ALSO GROWS
sheqer: falsehood
שֶׁקֶר
This noun shows that the lie is itself a thing covering the hatred.
shaqar: to lie or deal falsely
שָׁקַר
This verb connects the false words to the act of producing falsehood.
sheqarim: lies or falsehoods
שְׁקָרִים
The plural keeps the same root consonants, showing falsehood as repeated speech.
THE PATTERN
Speech can cover hostility with a false surface or carry what is within outward into words.
The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.THE THREAD
Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation.The Hebrew word translated “covered” here shares the root כסה with “hideth” in Proverbs 10:18. This verse follows the covering through to its exposure: the hidden thing is shown before the whole congregation.
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