Psalms 12

King James Version (KJV) · English

1 Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men. 2 They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak. 3 The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things: 4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us? 5 For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him. 6 The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. 7 Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. 8 The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.

Commentary — not Bible text

Psalms 12:1

PSALM 12

Psa 12:1-8. On title, see Introduction and see on Psa 6:1. The Psalmist laments the decrease of good men. The pride and deceit of the wicked provokes God's wrath, whose promise to avenge the cause of pious sufferers will be verified even amidst prevailing iniquity.

1. the faithful--or literally, "faithfulness" (Psa 31:23).

Psalms 12:2

2. The want of it is illustrated by the prevalence of deceit and instability.

Psalms 12:3-4

3-4. Boasting (Da 7:25) is, like flattery, a species of lying.

lips, and ... tongue--for persons.

Psalms 12:5

5. The writer intimates his confidence by depicting God's actions (compare Psa 9:19; 10:12) as coming to save the poor at whom the wicked sneer (Psa 10:5).

Psalms 12:6

6. The words--literally, "saying of" (Psa 12:5).

seven times--thoroughly (Da 3:19).

Psalms 12:7

7. them--(Margin.)

Psalms 12:8

8. The wicked roam undisturbed doing evil, when vileness and vile men are exalted.

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