KJV ORIGINAL
Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Smooth, flattering words that come from an evil heart are like a cheap clay pot covered with shiny but worthless metal.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse warns that beautiful-sounding words from someone with bad intentions are just cheap imitations of something valuable.
📚 Historical Context
This proverb uses imagery familiar to ancient metalworkers and potters. Silver dross was the worthless waste material left over from refining silver, sometimes used as a cheap coating to make ordinary pottery appear valuable. Solomon is teaching about the danger of people who speak pleasantly but have corrupt motives.
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