Original Word: עָתַר
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: `athar
Pronunciation: ah-thar
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-thar')
KJV: deceitful, multiply
NASB: deceitful, multiplied
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to be (causatively, make) abundant

deceitful, multiply

A primitive root; to be (causatively, make) abundant -- deceitful, multiply.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to be abundant
NASB Translation
deceitful (1), multiplied (1).

II. [עָתַר] verb be abundant, si vera lectio (as Aramaic loan-word; עֲתַר, , be rich = Hebrew עָשַׁר); —

Niph`al Participle feminine plural נַעְתָּרוֺת Proverbs 27:6 (of enemy's kisses; De excessive; opposed to נֶאֱמָנִים); Toy proposes נֶעֱקָשׁוֺת, or נַעֲוֺת, crooked, hypocritical.

Hiph`il Perfect2masculine plural הַעְתַּרְתֶּם עָלַי דִּבְרֵיכֶם Ezekiel 35:13 ye have multiplied against me your words ("" וַתַּגְדִּילוּ עָלַי בְּפִיכֶם), strike out as gloss Co after ᵐ5, Toy reads singular, and thinks verb due to Aramaizing scribe.

Scope and Semantic Range

עָתַר (Strong’s 6280) functions as a descriptor of abundance, a piling-up of something until it “overflows.” Though etymologically linked to the verbal root that can mean “to entreat fervently,” the noun/adverb in view is never used of prayer; rather, it marks an excess of kisses (Proverbs 27:6) and an excess of arrogant words (Ezekiel 35:13). In both settings the surplus is negative—flattery masking hostility and swaggering speech against God.

Canonical Occurrences

• Proverbs 27:6 places the word at the climax of a wisdom contrast: “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” The abundance is synthetic, not sincere.
• Ezekiel 35:13 deploys it in a judgment oracle against Edom: “You magnified yourselves against Me with your mouth and multiplied your words against Me; I heard it.” Here the excess is verbal aggression directed at the covenant LORD.

Literary and Historical Setting

Proverbs 27 belongs to the “sayings of Solomon collected by the men of Hezekiah” (Proverbs 25:1). The section trains disciples to discern between genuine loyalty and manipulative talk. Ezekiel 35 stands amid prophecies against the nations. Edom—longstanding rival of Jacob—had rejoiced over Jerusalem’s fall (Ezekiel 35:10). Their עָתַר-words intensified guilt and invited divine retribution.

Theological Motifs

1. The Moral Weight of Words. Scripture locates virtue not merely in the absence of evil speech but in the proportion of speech to truth (compare Proverbs 10:19; Matthew 12:36). עָתַר flags quantity divorced from integrity.
2. The Folly of Superficial Appearances. Excessive kisses resemble Judas’s betrayal (Matthew 26:49). Hyperbolic words resemble the boastful horn of Daniel 7:8. In both cases, over-abundance betrays an inner vacuum.
3. Divine Audit. In Ezekiel 35:13 God states, “I heard it.” Heaven records every syllable, reinforcing that speech is covenantal behavior open to judgment (James 3:6).

Ministry Implications

• Pastoral Care. Faithful love may wound (candid rebuke, church discipline), but it heals. Congregations should prize truthful admonition over effusive but empty affirmation.
• Preaching. The prophet’s denunciation of Edom warns against nationalistic pride expressed in swaggering rhetoric. Sermons on Ezekiel 35 may call hearers to humble speech before God and neighbor.
• Counseling. Proverbs 27:6 teaches discernment: evaluate relationships by consistent truthfulness, not by frequency of compliments.
• Leadership Ethics. Christian leaders are tempted to multiply words—vision casting, social media, promotional language. עָתַר reminds us that volume is no substitute for authenticity.

Echoes in the New Testament

Though the exact term does not reappear, themes of speech accountability saturate the New Testament. Jesus warns, “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:37). Paul exhorts, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6). These texts advance the same principle illustrated by עָתַר: verbal excess without righteousness incurs judgment.

Conclusion

Strong’s 6280 embodies the Bible’s sober verdict on overabundance divorced from integrity. Whether in personal flattery or national bluster, God calls His people to measured, faithful, truth-bearing words.

וְ֝נַעְתָּר֗וֹת וְהַעְתַּרְתֶּ֥ם והעתרתם ונעתרות vehatarTem venataRot wə·ha‘·tar·tem wə·na‘·tā·rō·wṯ wəha‘tartem wəna‘tārōwṯInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts