Psalms 12

 

This psalm purports to be “A Psalm of David,” and there is no reason to doubt that it was composed by him. On what occasion it was composed is now unknown. All the expressions in the psalm are of a general character and there is nothing in the psalm itself to enable us to determine on what occasion it was composed.  

The inscription: To the Precentor, on the Octave, a Psalm of David points us to the time when the Temple music was being established, in the time of David.

Psa_12:1-8 appropriately follows Psa_11:1-7, which is of a kindred character: a prayer for the deliverance of the poor and miserable in a time of universal moral corruption, and more particularly of prevailing faithlessness and boasting. In both psalms the psalmist seeks his help from God. In Psalm 11, the psalmist trusts in the Lord, that He judges everything from His heavenly throne Psa 11:1  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain? Psalms 11:4  The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. In Psalm 12, the psalmist trusts in the Lord through the words of God Psalms 12:6  The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Psa 12:7  Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.  

In Psalm 11, the false deeds of the wicked are lamented and in Psalm 12 the false words of the wicked are lamented.

Psalm 12 is a lament over the demoralization of men and the corruption of social life. Neither faith nor law are left; falsehood, duplicity, and hypocrisy succeed everywhere, and the honest men are so lost in the mass of wickedness that they seem to have disappeared altogether. We find similar complaints in Micah Mic 7:2  The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.  Isaiah Isa 57:1  The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. and Jeremiah Jer 5:1  Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it. But God has not left Himself without a witness. Prophetic voices have been raised in noble assertion of truth and justice, and the psalmist recalls one such voice, proclaiming the coming and the establishment of a righteous kingdom upon earth, the hope of which had already become the consolation and stay of the faithful.

In Psalm 12, the psalmist, destitute of human comfort, craves help from God, Psa_12:1; gives the character of those who surrounded him, and denounces God’s judgments against them, Psa_12:2-5; confides in the promises of God, and in his protection of him and all good men, Psa_12:6-8.

Psa 12:1  To the chief Musician upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David. Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men. 

To the chief Musician upon Sheminith - is the same as that of the sixth Psalm, except that the words “On Neginoth,” used there, are here omitted.

To the chief Musician upon Sheminith - The word "sheminith" is used in the title of Psa_6:1, and signifies "eighth"; and intends either the eighth note, to which the psalm was sung, or rather the harp of eight chords, to which it was set, as the Targum interprets it. Some Jewish writers understand it of the times of the Messiah; and the one old manuscript (the Syriac) entitles the psalm, "an accusation of the wicked, and a prophecy concerning the coming of the Messiah:'' Another ancient manuscript (the Arabic version) states: “it is concerning the end of the world, which shall be in the eighth day; and concerning the coming of the Messiah”.

To the chief musician upon the eighth - With respect to the word eighth, there are two opinions among interpreters. According to some, it means a musical instrument; while others are rather inclined to think that it is a tune. It was intended to point out how the psalm was to be sung.

Help, Lord - The psalmist saw that those on whom reliance was usually placed for the promotion of the cause of truth and virtue now failed, and hence, he invites the divine interposition.

For the godly man - A godly man is one that has received grace and mercy of the Lord; as pardoning mercy, justifying and adopting grace; and who has principles of grace, goodness, and holiness, wrought in him; who fears the Lord, and serves him acceptably, with reverence and godly fear, and sorrows for sin, after a godly sort; who loves the Lord, and hopes and believes in him; who is regenerated and sanctified by the Spirit of God, and is a true worshipper of God.

For the godly man - The word used here properly denotes the “merciful” man. It is a term applied to the righteous, because it is a prominent trait in the character of a pious man that he is merciful, kind, benign. Hence, the general character is often denoted by the special characteristic; in the same way as we speak of a pious man as a good man, a just man, a righteous man. The idea suggested by the use of the term here is, that it is always a characteristic of a pious man that he is merciful. Compare Psa_4:3; Psa_32:6, where the same word is rendered “godly;” Psa_30:4; Psa_31:23; Psa_37:28; Psa_50:5; Psa_52:9; Psa_79:2; Psa_85:8, where it is rendered saints; and Deu_33:8; Psa_16:10; Psa_86:2; Psa_89:19, where it is rendered “holy.”

For the faithful - Those who profess faith; those who are bound by their vows to be faithful to God and to his cause. The word is equivalent to the believing, and is properly expressive of trust or faith in God.

Fail from among the children of men - Fail, as above noted, by their misconduct; by being false to the trust committed to them. Men have lost serious piety, that even truth and honesty in their conversation and dealings with men are lost.

It seemed to David, as it did to Elijah years later, that the godly had almost become extinct in Israel (cf. Psalms 11:2-3; 1 Kings 19:10). Liars and double-minded flatterers had gradually replaced people who were true to their word and commitments. This is hyperbolic language, but David used it to remind God indirectly of His covenant promises to bless the godly. David placed great confidence in the promises of God to deliver those who look to Him for salvation.

Children of men - a designation of an earthborn, degenerate race, as opposed to “sons of God.”

Truthfulness is important for the children of God. Exo 20:16  Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: No Christian may do anything other than speak the truth. Scripture specifically promises Revelation 21:8  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. 

Psa 12:2  They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak. 

They speak vanity everyone with his neighbor - That which is false and a lie, either doctrinal or practical; what was not according to the word of God, and was vain and empty, frothy, filthy, and corrupt; and which no godly and faithful man would do.

They speak vanity - That is, emptiness; their words are devoid of meaning, because they do not truly represent any thing, the speaker having no intention of fulfilling what is promised, or of stating things as they really exist.

They speak vanity - They are false and hollow; they say one thing while they mean another; there is no trusting to what they say. There was a disregard of truth; that no confidence could be placed on the statements of those who professed to be pious; that they dealt falsely with their neighbors. The word “vanity” here is equivalent to “falsehood.” What they spoke was a vain and empty thing, instead of being the truth. It had no reality, and could not be depended on.

With flattering lips - The meaning is, that no confidence could be placed in the statements made. There was no certainty that they were founded on truth; none that they were not intended to deceive. Flattery is the ascribing of qualities to another which he is known not to possess - usually with some sinister or base design. Pro 26:24  He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him; 

With a double heart do they speak — They speak as if they had two hearts, the one inclining them to hate their neighbor, and form designs against him, and the other to prompt the tongue to pretend a friendship for him.

And with a double heart - that is, as it were, with two hearts, one that gives utterance to the words, and the other that retains a different sentiment. Thus, in Deu_25:13, the phrase in Hebrew, “a stone and a stone” means, as it is translated, “diverse weights” - one stone or weight to buy with, and another to sell with. So the flatterer. He has one heart to give utterance to the words which he uses toward his neighbor, and another that conceals his real purpose or design. No confidence, therefore, could be placed in such persons.

with flattering lips - as Cain did to Abel, Joab to Amasa, the Herodians to Christ, Judas to his Master, hypocrites to God himself, when they draw nigh to him only with their lips, and all formal professors to the churches of Christ, when they profess themselves to be what they are not. And this is a further proof of the justness of the above complaint;

Psa 12:3  The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things: 

The Lord shall cut off - It is the statement of a solemn truth, designed for warning, that all such persons would be punished.

Cut off all flattering lips - The meaning is, that he will cut off all “persons” who use flattery; that is, he will cut them off from the favors which he will show to his own people, or will punish them. The word used here is the common one to denote disowning or excommunicating, and derives its meaning from the act of separating offenders from a community.

The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips - This is either a prophecy or a prayer; that God either would or should cut off such who used flattery with their lips, by inflicting some judgment in this life, or everlasting punishment hereafter; by taking them away by death out of the world; or by casting them into hell, where all liars and deceitful persons will have their portion.

And the tongue that speaketh proud things - great things, or, great words, boasting what they have done, or declaring, or threatening what they will do, and what great things they will effect, namely, with their tongues, as they themselves explain it in the next verse. The more artificial and dissembling a man is, the more he affects a pompous formality in his discourse, that he may the better deceive. Jas 3:5  Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 

We see here two opposite characters, the dissembler (flattering lips) and the self-confident boaster (speaketh proud things), alike abominable to God.

Psa 12:4  Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us? 

Who have said - Who habitually say. This does not mean that they had formally and openly said this - for none would be likely to do so - but that they had practically and really said this by their conduct. They acted as if it were the real principle on which they framed their lives, that they might use their tongues as they pleased.

With our tongue - It was by the tongue that they expected to accomplish their purposes. It was not by direct power, or by violence, but by the power of speech. The tongue is often a more deadly weapon than the sword, and these boasters seem to have been aware of its envenomed power.

Will we prevail - literally, “We will do mightily;” that is, they would accomplish their purposes. They relied on the power of speech - on their ability in influencing others; in deceiving others; in persuading others to fall in with their plans.

Our lips are our own - That is, they may use them as they please; no one has a right to control them in the use of what properly belongs to themselves. It cannot be meant that they intended to assert this openly as a right, for there are perhaps none who will not admit in words that they are responsible for what they “say,” as well as for what they “do.” But their conduct was such that this was the fair interpretation to be placed on what they said. Many think, because they have the faculty of speaking, that therefore they may speak what they please.

Our lips are our own - They take as great a liberty in their speech as if they believed there was no God or man superior to them; because neither the fear of God, nor the reverence of men, can keep them from speaking whatsoever they please, or what they suppose makes for their interest. Mat 12:36  But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 

Mat 12:37  For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. 

Our lips are our own - The sense is, as we say, so shall it be; our words are laws, and shall be obeyed, there is no standing against them; our edicts and decrees shall everywhere be regarded:

Who is lord over us - That is, who has a right to control us. There are many who practically avow this as a principle of conduct, and who seem to feel that they are not responsible for their words. There is usually a greater degree of recklessness among men in regard to their speech than in regard to their conduct; and many a man who would shrink from doing another wrong by an act of dishonesty in business, may be utterly reckless as to doing him wrong by an unkind remark.

who is Lord over us - which is the very language and conduct of antichrist, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, 2Th_2:4; and is indeed the language of the hearts and lives of all wicked and ungodly men, sons of Belial, men without any yoke or restraint; who walk, and are resolved to walk, after the imagination of their own evil hearts; not knowing the Lord, and being unwilling to obey him, or to be restrained by him; see Exo_5:2.

Those must be possessed of great authority who think that, in the very falsehood to which they are addicted, they have enough of strength to accomplish their purposes, and to protect themselves. It is the utmost height of wickedness for persons to break out into such presumption, that they scruple not to overthrow all law and equity by their arrogant and boasting language; for, in doing this, it is just as if they openly declared war against God himself. The wicked persons spoken of being armed with their tongues, go beyond all bounds, and think they can accomplish by this means whatever they please.

Psa 12:5  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. 

For the oppression of the poor - That is, on account of the wrong done to the poor in the manner specified above - by the abuse of the power of speech. On account of the slanders uttered against them, or the frauds perpetrated on them by the abuse of this power. The reference is to the wrongs done when no confidence could be placed in men’s words; when they uttered words of “vanity” and “flattery” Psa_12:2; when promises were made only to be broken, and obligations assumed never to be fulfilled.

For the oppression of the poor - The servants and people of God are all standing in need of fresh supplies of grace; and being often afflicted, as the word signifies, are mean and despicable in the eyes of the men of this world, and so oppressed by them, as the people of Israel were oppressed by the Egyptians, so are the people of God by unbelievers, and by such haughty and insolent persons as before described; Mat 5:3  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

For the sighing of the needy  - The word “needy” here is synonymous with “poor.” It refers to those in humble circumstances, who were especially liable to be wronged by deceitful statements and promises.

Now I will rise – The same phrase is in Isa 33:10  Now will I rise, saith the LORD; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself. Similar phrases can be found in multiple places in the bible. Psa 44:26  Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake. 

Num 10:35  And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee. 

I will set him in safety - I will make him safe. I will save him from the evils which they thought to bring upon him. The general idea is, that God is the vindicator of the poor and the oppressed.

I will set him in safety - All God's people are put into the hands of Christ, and are preserved in him; there they are in safety, for out of his hands none can pluck them; and being built on him, the Rock, they are safe.

From him that puffeth at him - The language in the original is difficult. The word translated here as puffeth is a verb translated to breathe, to blow. The word is only used in poetic contexts in the Hebrew Bible. The word can have a positive or negative connotation. In the negative meaning, such as to snort at an enemy (Psa_10:5); to incite a city (Pro_29:8); or the Lord to blow out His anger (Eze_21:31). The injury referred to in the psalm was done by “words,” by the breath of the mouth - thus indicating that by a “word” or a “breath” they could destroy them.

From him that putteth at him - Many versions read, “I will set him in safety who panteth after it;” but it seems more in conformity with the meaning of the psalm to understand it as breathe, blow, puff, in the contemptuous sense of scorn.

Because of the spoiling of the needy. David now sets before himself as matter of consolation, the truth that God will not suffer the wicked thus to make havoc without end. The more effectually to establish himself and others in the belief of this truth, he introduces God himself as speaking. The expression is more emphatic when God is represented as coming forward and declaring with his own mouth that he is come to deliver the poor and distressed. There is also great emphasis in the adverb now, by which God intimates that, although our safety is in his hand, and, therefore, in secure keeping, yet he does not immediately grant deliverance from affliction; for his words imply that he had hitherto been, as it were, lying still and asleep, until he was awakened by the calamities and the cries of his people. When, therefore, the injuries, the extortions, and the devastations of our enemies leave us nothing but tears and groans, let us remember that now the time is at hand when God intends to rise up to execute judgment. This doctrine should also serve to produce in us patience, and prevent us from taking it ill, that we are reckoned among the number of the poor and afflicted, whose cause God promises to take into his own hand.

We do not know how David received the assurance that God would deal with the liars that troubled him. It was a prophetic insight, and it may have come directly from God or through another prophet. However, in view of the verses that follow, the psalmist perceived it as an authoritative promise from God. This is the first of several psalms that contain an answering oracle from the Lord (Psalms 60, 81, 95).

Psa 12:6  The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. 

The words of the Lord - In contrast with the words of the persons referred to in Psa_12:2-4. Their words were vanity, flattery, and falsehood; and no reliance could be placed on them. In contrast with these words, the words of the Lord were pure. They were to be relied on. All his sayings were true and faithful. The design is to bring his words into contrast with the sayings of such men, and to show how much more safety there is in relying on his promises than on the promises made by such men. Man failed, but God would not. 2Co 1:20  For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 

Are pure words - That is, they are without any mixture of falsehood - for this idea is implied in the comparison which the psalmist makes when he says that they are like silver purified in the furnace, that is, from which all the dross has been removed.

The words of the Lord are pure — Without the least mixture of falsehood, and therefore shall be infallibly fulfilled. Men often speak rashly, and promise what they cannot perform, and deceitfully, what they never intend to perform. But God’s words are different; they are pure from all manner of dross; from all folly, or fraud, or uncertainty. Psa 119:140  Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it. His words are the perfect antidote to unbelief, sin and deceit.

The words of the Lord are pure words - The Scriptures are the words of God; and they are pure and holy, free from all human mixtures, and from all fraud and deceit; they are the Scriptures of truth. The promises are the words of God, and they are firm and stable, and always to be depended on, and are ever fulfilled. None of his promises shall fall to the ground; we can be assured of the salvation which he has promised through Christ. Pro 30:5  Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. 

As silver tried in a furnace of earth - The word here rendered “furnace” properly means a workshop. It evidently refers to some place where the metal was tried and purified. The words rendered “of earth” literally mean “on the earth,” or “in the earth.” The language does not mean that the “furnace” was “made” of earth, as would seem to be implied in our version, but that the “furnace” was erected on the earth, or in the earth. It may refer to something like a crucible placed on the ground, around which a fire of intense heat could be made.

As silver tried in a furnace of earth – Consider this, not only are His words pure, but they are also more valuable than the purest silver or gold, Psa 19:10  More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 

Purified seven times - By passing it seven times - that is, very often - through the fire. The word “seven” in the Scriptures denotes a complete or perfect number, and is often used to denote frequency. The idea here would seem to be that the process was repeated until the silver became entirely pure. The sense is, that the words of the Lord are “perfectly pure.” There is no admixture of falsehood in his statements; there is no deception in his promises; there is no flattery in what he says. This was the ground of confidence on the part of the psalmist - that while men (even those who professed to be good men) so failed that no reliance could be placed on their statements, the most perfect trust could be reposed on all the statements of God.

Seven - Seven was the number the Israelites associated with the perfect work of God, going back to the creation of the cosmos in seven days. Seven times is a proverbial phrase for perfectly, completely.

Psa 12:7  Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. 

Thou shalt keep them - That is, the persons referred to in Psa_12:5 - the poor and the needy who were suffering from the wrongs inflicted on them. The idea is, that God would guard and defend them. They were safe in his hands.

Thou shalt keep them - thou shalt preserve them - Instead of the pronoun ‘them’ in these clauses, several MSS., with the Septuagint, the Vulgate, and the Arabic, have ‘us’. Psa 12:7  Thou, O Lord, shalt keep us, and shalt preserve us, from this generation, and for ever. (Septuagint) Psa 12:7  (12:8) Thou, O Lord, wilt preserve us: and keep us from this generation for ever. (Douay-Rheims) The sense is equally good in both readings. God did bring forth the Israelites from Babylon, according to his word; he separated them from that generation. and reinstated them in their own land, according to his word; and most certainly he has preserved them from generation to generation to the present day, in a most remarkable manner.

Thou shalt keep them – Some commentators believe that “them” refers to His words or promises: these He will observe and keep, both now, and from this generation forever. Mat 5:18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 

From this generation - This generation of detractors, flatterers, and oppressors. The idea is, that that entire generation was eminently wicked, and that none but God could deliver the poor and the needy from their designs.

Forever - constantly, or as long as they would need the divine protection. God would not interpose and save them from the present trouble, and then leave them to the designs of their enemies, but he would always interpose as often as there was any need of his help. That is, they were now, and would be at all times, entirely safe. They had nothing to fear, for God was their refuge and their help.

Psa 12:8  The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted. 

The wicked walk on every side - They have full license, or seem to be wholly unrestrained. They fill all places, and go about boldly and securely, seeking to deceive, corrupt, and destroy others, being neither afraid nor ashamed to discover themselves;

when the vilest of men are exalted — The state of things is as if the vilest were exalted, or were honored. It seems to be the very exaltation of wickedness or depravity in the world. A state of things exists in which, from the prevalence of iniquity, the wicked seem to go unrestrained; in which no regard is paid to truth; in which falsehood and flattery abound; and it is as if honor were done to the worst forms of sin, and the most abandoned seem to be the most exalted. There was a state of widespread depravity and successful iniquity, as if all honor were conferred on wicked and abandoned men, while the virtuous were oppressed and degraded

when the vilest of men are exalted — To places of trust and power, who, instead of putting the laws in execution against vice and injustice, and punishing the wicked according to their deserts, patronize and protect them, or give them countenance and support by their own example. For when vile persons are exalted, so also are vile practices.

The sons of men – This phrase from Psalms 12:1 and repeated in this verse stresses the mortality of the wicked. David did not resolve the problem of evil, but he recognized that evil is under the full sovereignty of the Lord who will care for His children.