Psalms 12

The words of the Lord are pure

For the choirmaster. According to Sheminith. A Psalm of David. Help, O LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.a ²They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart.b ³May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue.

⁴They say, “With our tongues we will prevail. We own our lips—who can be our master?” ⁵“For the cause of the oppressed and for the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,” says the LORD. “I will bring safety to him who yearns.”c ⁶The words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace, like gold purified sevenfold.d

⁷You, O LORD, will keep us; You will forever guard us from this generation.e ⁸The wicked wander freely, and vileness is exalted among men.

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Commentary

Psalm 12 is a lament that cries out against the prevalence of deceitful speech and the apparent silence of God in a world where the faithful seem to have vanished. The psalmist, likely David, contrasts the flattering, boastful words of the wicked with the pure, refined promises of t

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Bible Dictionary· Psalms 12(4)

Arise Generation Lips Tongue

Bible Characters· Psalms 12(1)

David

References· Psalms 12

a: v.1 — Isaiah 57:1, Jeremiah 5:1, Matthew 24:12, Isaiah 59:13-15, Isaiah 1:21-22, Isaiah 63:5, Psalms 6:1, Micah 7:1-2, Genesis 6:12, Proverbs 20:6
b: v.2 — Romans 16:18, Jeremiah 9:8, Psalms 41:6, Psalms 10:7, Psalms 5:9, Psalms 144:8, James 1:8, Psalms 28:3, 1 Thessalonians 2:5, Psalms 52:1-4
c: v.5 — Psalms 34:6, Proverbs 14:31, James 5:4, Psalms 146:7-8, Isaiah 33:10, Micah 7:8-9, Exodus 2:23-24, Job 5:15, Job 5:21, Psalms 10:12
d: v.6 — Proverbs 30:5, Psalms 18:30, 2 Samuel 22:31, Psalms 19:8, Psalms 66:10, Psalms 119:140
e: v.7 — 1 Samuel 2:9, Psalms 121:8, 1 Peter 1:5, Psalms 37:40, Psalms 145:20, Isaiah 27:3, Psalms 16:1, Matthew 3:7, Psalms 10:18, Psalms 37:28

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