“He who hates, dissembles with his lips”: “He who hates” refers to “an enemy.” “Dissembles” renders a verb meaning “to speak something that is different than what the person thinks,” that is, “to be a hypocrite.”

“And harbors deceit in his heart”: “Harbors” is literally “puts” or “stores up.” “Deceit” is “treachery” (New Jerusalem Bible) or a plan to cause harm (Contemporary English Version “evil plans”). “His heart” is literally “inside of him.” Scott translates “A man filled with hate disguises it in his words, while inwardly he plots to betray you.” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has “He who hates hides it when he speaks, but in his insides he makes evil plans.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .