Psalms 55:21 (KJV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

Psalms 55:19 God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.

Psalms 55:20 He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant.

Psalms 55:21 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.

Psalms 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

Psalms 55:23 But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "words", "mouth", "smoother", "than", "butter", "heart", and "softer". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "words" and "mouth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "He hath put forth his hands against..." into verse 22's "Cast thy burden upon the LORD and...", so "words" and "mouth" belong inside that flow. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "words" and "mouth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.