Topic
Lip
40 passages cited, from 2 classic reference works.
These works date from 1897–1915 and are in the public domain. They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently. The verses are shown in the King James Version, the wording these works were written against.
The verses
The passages the works cite, those cited by more of them first.
- Genesis 22:17Easton · ISBE
That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
- Psalms 22:7Easton · ISBE
All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
- Psalms 40:9Easton · ISBE
I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.
- Hosea 14:2Easton · ISBE
Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
- Hebrews 13:15Easton · ISBE
By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
- Exodus 6:12ISBE
And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?
- Exodus 6:30ISBE
And Moses said before the LORD, Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?
- Exodus 28:32Easton
And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent.
- Leviticus 13:45ISBE
And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.
- Numbers 30:6ISBE
And if she had at all an husband, when she vowed, or uttered ought out of her lips, wherewith she bound her soul;
- Numbers 30:8ISBE
But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it; then he shall make her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered with her lips, wherewith she bound her soul, of none effect: and the LORD shall forgive her.
- Numbers 30:12ISBE
But if her husband hath utterly made them void on the day he heard them; then whatsoever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand: her husband hath made them void; and the LORD shall forgive her.
Show 28 more
- 1 Kings 7:26 Easton
- 2 Kings 2:13 Easton
- Job 11:5 Easton
- Job 32:20 ISBE
- Psalms 12:2 ISBE
- Psalms 12:3 ISBE
- Psalms 17:1 ISBE
- Psalms 31:18 ISBE
- Proverbs 4:24 ISBE
- Proverbs 7:21 ISBE
- Proverbs 10:18 ISBE
- Proverbs 10:19 ISBE
- Proverbs 12:19 ISBE
- Proverbs 12:22 ISBE
- Proverbs 16:13 ISBE
- Proverbs 17:4 ISBE
- Proverbs 26:23 ISBE
- Isaiah 6:5 ISBE
- Isaiah 28:11 ISBE
- Isaiah 29:13 ISBE
- Isaiah 37:29 Easton
- Isaiah 57:19 ISBE
- Ezekiel 24:17 ISBE
- Ezekiel 24:22 ISBE
- Micah 3:7 ISBE
- Matthew 15:8 ISBE
- Hebrews 11:12 ISBE
- 1 Peter 3:10 Easton
In the reference works
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · 12 references
Besides its literal sense (Isa. 37:29, etc.), is used in the original (saphah) metaphorically for an edge or border, as of a cup (1 Kings 7:26), a garment (Ex. 28:32), a curtain (26:4), the sea (Gen. 22:17), the Jordan (2 Kings 2:13). To “open the lips” is to begin to speak (Job 11:5); to “refrain the lips” is to keep silence (Ps. 40:9; 1 Pet. 3:10). The “fruit of the lips” (Heb. 13:15) is praise, and the “calves of the lips” thank-offerings (Hos. 14:2). To “shoot out the lip” is to manifest scorn and defiance (Ps. 22:7). Many similar forms of expression are found in Scripture.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · 35 references
(saphah, sepheth, "lip," "language," "speech," "talk" (also "rim," "border," "shore," "bank," etc.), sapham, "(upper) lip," "moustache," "beard"; cheilos, "lip" (also once, "shore" in the quotation Heb 11:12 equals Ge 22:17)):
(1) Lips stand in oriental idiom for speech or language, like "mouth," "tongue"; therefore they stand in parallelism. "The lip of truth shall be established for ever; but a lying tongue is but for a moment" (Pr 12:19). "To shoot out the lip" (Ps 22:7) means to make a mocking, contemptuous, scornful face. As the lips are the chief instrument of speech, we find numerous idiomatic phrases for "speaking," such as: "the utterance of the lips" (Nu 30:6,8), "to proceed out of the lips" (Nu 30:12), "to open the lips" (Job 32:20), "to go out of the lips" (Ps 17:1). These expressions do not convey, as a rule, the idea that the utterance proceeds merely out of the lips, and that it lacks sincerity and the consent of the heart, but occasionally this is intended, e.g. "This people draw nigh unto me, and with their mouth and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me" (Isa 29:13; compare Mt 15:8). The "fruit of the lips" (Isa 57:19 equals Heb 13:15) and "calves of the lips" (Ho 14:2 the King James Version) designate the praise and thanksgiving due to God. "Fervent (the King James Version "burning") lips" (Pr 26:23) are synonymous with eloquence. "To refrain the lips" (Ps 40:9; Pr 10:19) means to keep silence, where the godless or unwise would wish to assert his rights.
Numerous other expressions need no further explanation, such as "perverse lips" (Pr 4:24), "uncircumcised lips" (Ex 6:12,30), "feigned lips" (Ps 17:1), "lying lips" (Ps 31:18; Pr 10:18; 12:22), "wicked (or false) lips" (Pr 17:4), "unclean lips" (Isa 6:5), "strange (the King James Version "stammering") lips" (Isa 28:11), "flattering lips" (Ps 12:2,3; Pr 7:21), "righteous lips" (Pr 16:13).
(2) The Hebrew word sapham is found only in the phrase "to cover the lip or lips," which is an expression of mourning, submission and shame. The Oriental covers his lips with his hand or a portion of his garment, when he has been sunk into deep grief and sorrow. He expresses, thereby, that he cannot open his mouth at the visitation of God. Differently, however, from common mourners, Ezekiel was forbidden of God "to cover his lips" (Eze 24:17; see also Eze 24:22), i.e. to mourn in the usual way over Israel's downfall, as Israel had brought these judgments upon himself. The leper, victim of an incurable disease, walks about with rent clothes and hair disheveled, covering his lips, crying: "Unclean, unclean!" (Le 13:45). The thought here is that even the breath of such a one may defile. The prophet calls upon all seers and diviners, to whom God has refused the knowledge of the future, to cover their lips in shame and confusion (Mic 3:7).
H. L. E. Luering
Texts: Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897); International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915), from the CrossWire SWORD modules (public domain). Verse references were parsed from the works' own markup and checked against the KJV verse list.