Jeremiah 9:8

8 His tongue is an arrow causing death; the words of his mouth are deceit: he says words of peace to his neighbour, but in his heart he is waiting secretly for him.

Jeremiah 9:8 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 9:8

Their tongue is as an arrow shot out
As an arrow out of a bow, which moves swiftly, and comes with great force; or, "drawn out" {u}; as out of a quiver. The word is used of gold, and rendered "beaten gold", ( 1 Kings 10:16 ) , gold drawn out into plates; and here of an arrow drawn out of a quiver; and so it is interpreted in the Talmud ^F23; or is "wounding", as the Septuagint, or "slaying" ^F24; denoting the mischief and injury done to the characters of men, by a deceitful, detracting, and calumniating tongue. The Targum is, "as a sharp arrow their tongue"; which pierces deep, and is deadly; (See Gill on Jeremiah 9:3), it speaketh deceit;
deceitful words, by which men are imposed upon, and are led into wrong ways of thinking and acting: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth;
salutes him in a friendly manner; wishes him all health, peace, and prosperity; professes a sincere and cordial friendship for him, and pretends a strong affection to him: but in his heart he layeth wait;
to draw him into snares, and circumvent, trick, and defraud him.

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 (jxwv) "extensa, [vel] tracta", Vatablus
F23 T. Bab. Cholin, fol. 30. 2. & Gloss. in ib.
F24 Jugulans, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Jeremiah 9:8 In-Context

6 There is wrong on wrong, deceit on deceit; they have given up the knowledge of me, says the Lord.

7 So the Lord of armies has said, See, I will make them soft in the fire and put them to the test; this I will do because of their evil-doing.

8 His tongue is an arrow causing death; the words of his mouth are deceit: he says words of peace to his neighbour, but in his heart he is waiting secretly for him.

9 Am I not to send punishment for these things? says the Lord: will not my soul take payment from such a nation as this?

10 Give yourselves to weeping, crying out in sorrow for the mountains; and for the fields of the waste land send up a song of grief, because they are burned up, so that no one goes through; there is no sound of cattle; the bird of the heavens and the beast are in flight and are gone.