Psalms 12 Study Notes: Lying Lips and God's Pure Words
David cries for help in a time when faithful people seem gone and everyone deceives with flattery and boasting. The LORD promises to rise up for the oppressed, and His words are praised as perfectly pure, like refined silver, as He guards His people.
General
What crisis prompts David's cry for help in 12:1-2?
Answer: Loyal people seem gone, and speech is full of deceit
David cries out to the LORD because it seems that godly, faithful people have disappeared from among mankind (12:1). What remains is a world of lying: people deceive their neighbors with smooth flattery while their hearts are divided, saying one thing and meaning another (12:2). The danger in this psalm is not a sword but the tongue. Micah laments a similar time when the upright seem to have perished and everyone hunts his neighbor (Micah 7:2). Proverbs warns that a liar hates the people he harms and flattery brings ruin (Proverbs 26:28), and another psalm says the tongues of the wicked practice deceit (Psalm 5:9).
- Psalm 12:1-2 (BSB)“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. They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart.”David cries for help because faithful people seem gone and lying, flattering speech abounds.
- Micah 7:2 (BSB)“The godly man has perished from the earth; there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; they hunt one another with a net.”Micah laments that the godly have perished and no upright person remains.
- Proverbs 26:28 (BSB)“A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth causes ruin.”A lying tongue hates its victims, and flattery brings ruin.
- Psalm 5:9 (BSB)“For not a word they speak can be trusted; destruction lies within them. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.”The tongues of the wicked practice deceit.
Theological
What is the complaint of 12:1-2?
Answer: Loyal people seem gone, and speech is full of deceit
The psalm opens with a plea for help grounded in the apparent disappearance of the godly and faithful from human society (12:1). Their absence is measured by corrupted speech: lies to neighbors, smooth flattery, and a divided heart, an inner duplicity behind the smooth words (12:2). The threat is verbal rather than military. Micah 7:2 voices the same lament over a society empty of the upright, Proverbs 26:28 exposes the malice behind flattery, and Psalm 5:9 describes tongues practiced in deceit.
- Psalm 12:1-2 (BSB)“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. They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart.”David cries for help because faithful people seem gone and lying, flattering speech abounds.
- Micah 7:2 (BSB)“The godly man has perished from the earth; there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; they hunt one another with a net.”Micah laments that the godly have perished and no upright person remains.
- Proverbs 26:28 (BSB)“A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth causes ruin.”A lying tongue hates its victims, and flattery brings ruin.
- Psalm 5:9 (BSB)“For not a word they speak can be trusted; destruction lies within them. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.”The tongues of the wicked practice deceit.
General
True or False: Psalm 12 ends by trusting that the LORD will guard His people forever, even though the wicked still roam freely.
Answer: True
This is true. David is confident that the LORD will keep His people and protect them from this wicked generation for all time (12:7), even while evil people roam freely and what is shameful is praised among men (12:8). The psalm does not end with the problem solved; it ends with trust in God's keeping power in the middle of it. The New Testament gives the same assurance to believers: Jesus says His sheep cannot be snatched out of His hand or His Father's hand (John 10:28-29), God's power guards believers through faith (1 Peter 1:5), and God has power to keep them from stumbling (Jude 1:24). This is often called the perseverance of the saints: God keeps those who belong to Him to the end.
- Psalm 12:7-8 (BSB)“You, O LORD, will keep us; You will forever guard us from this generation. The wicked wander freely, and vileness is exalted among men.”David trusts God to guard His people forever though the wicked roam freely.
- John 10:28-29 (BSB)“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”No one can snatch Christ's sheep out of His or the Father's hand.
- 1 Peter 1:5 (BSB)“who through faith are shielded by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”Believers are shielded by God's power for final salvation.
- Jude 1:24 (BSB)“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy—”God is able to keep His people from stumbling and present them blameless.
Theological
True or False: Psalm 12 closes with confidence that the LORD will preserve His people forever, though the wicked still prowl and what is vile is honored.
Answer: True
This is true. The confession that the LORD will keep and guard His people from this generation forever (12:7) stands alongside the sober observation that the wicked roam freely and what is vile is prized among men (12:8). The psalm ends not with the removal of evil but with the certainty of divine preservation within it. This is the Old Testament form of the perseverance of the saints: John 10:28-29 grounds it in the Father's and Son's unbreakable grip, 1 Peter 1:5 in God's power guarding believers through faith, and Jude 1:24 in God's ability to keep them from stumbling.
- Psalm 12:7-8 (BSB)“You, O LORD, will keep us; You will forever guard us from this generation. The wicked wander freely, and vileness is exalted among men.”David trusts God to guard His people forever though the wicked roam freely.
- John 10:28-29 (BSB)“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”No one can snatch Christ's sheep out of His or the Father's hand.
- 1 Peter 1:5 (BSB)“who through faith are shielded by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”Believers are shielded by God's power for final salvation.
- Jude 1:24 (BSB)“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy—”God is able to keep His people from stumbling and present them blameless.
General
How does 12:6 describe God's words, in contrast to the flattering lips of 12:2-4?
Answer: Flawless, like silver purified in a furnace
The lying, flattering speech of men in 12:2-4 is set against what the LORD says in 12:6. God's words have no flaw at all; they are like silver smelted in a furnace and gold cleansed seven times over, refined again and again until no impurity is left. People can be trusted to deceive, but God can be trusted to keep His word, including the promise He has just made in 12:5. Proverbs says whatever God speaks is without flaw (Proverbs 30:5), David says the same of the LORD's word and adds that He shields those who trust Him (Psalm 18:30), and another psalm calls God's promise completely pure (Psalm 119:140).
- Psalm 12:6 (BSB)“The words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace, like gold purified sevenfold.”The LORD's words are flawless, like refined silver and purified gold.
- Proverbs 30:5 (BSB)“Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.”Every word of God is flawless, and He shields those who trust Him.
- Psalm 18:30 (BSB)“As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.”David affirms that the word of the LORD is flawless.
- Psalm 119:140 (BSB)“Your promise is completely pure; therefore Your servant loves it.”God's promise is completely pure, and His servant loves it.
Theological
How does 12:6 characterize the LORD's words over against human speech in 12:2-4?
Answer: Flawless, like silver purified in a furnace
Against deceitful human speech (12:2-4), the LORD's words are without flaw, like silver smelted in a furnace and gold cleansed sevenfold (12:6): refined repeatedly until wholly pure. The immediate application is the oracle of 12:5, which is utterly reliable, but the verse affirms the purity and truthfulness of all God's speech, a foundation for the doctrine of Scripture's trustworthiness. Proverbs 30:5 and Psalm 18:30 affirm that all God's speech is without flaw, and Psalm 119:140 calls His promise completely pure.
- Psalm 12:6 (BSB)“The words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace, like gold purified sevenfold.”The LORD's words are flawless, like refined silver and purified gold.
- Proverbs 30:5 (BSB)“Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.”Every word of God is flawless, and He shields those who trust Him.
- Psalm 18:30 (BSB)“As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.”David affirms that the word of the LORD is flawless.
- Psalm 119:140 (BSB)“Your promise is completely pure; therefore Your servant loves it.”God's promise is completely pure, and His servant loves it.
General
What turning point comes in 12:5?
Answer: The LORD Himself speaks and vows to rise for the needy
In 12:5 the voice changes. After the lying words of men comes the word of God Himself: for the sake of the afflicted and because the needy are groaning, the LORD says He will now get up and act, placing the one who longs for help in safety. God answers a world of deceitful speech with a trustworthy promise of His own. This is how God acted when He saw the misery of His people in Egypt, heard their cry, and came to deliver them (Exodus 3:7-8). Isaiah records a similar announcement that the LORD will now rise and act (Isaiah 33:10), and Jesus promised that God will not delay justice for His chosen ones who cry to Him (Luke 18:7-8).
- Psalm 12:5 (BSB)““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.””The LORD speaks, promising to rise and bring safety to the oppressed and needy.
- Exodus 3:7-8 (BSB)“The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings. I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.”God saw His people's affliction in Egypt, heard their cry, and came down to rescue them.
- Isaiah 33:10 (BSB)““Now I will arise,” says the LORD. “Now I will lift Myself up. Now I will be exalted.”The LORD announces that He will now arise and be exalted.
- Luke 18:7-8 (BSB)“Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay in helping them? I tell you, He will promptly carry out justice on their behalf. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?””God will bring justice for His elect who cry out to Him.
Theological
What shift in speaker and content occurs in 12:5?
Answer: The LORD Himself speaks and vows to rise for the needy
The psalm moves from human speech to a divine oracle (12:5): moved by the plight of the afflicted and the groans of the poor, the LORD declares that He will now arise and set in safety the one who longs for it. The duplicitous words of men are answered by the reliable word of God. The oracle recalls God's response to Israel's affliction in Egypt (Exodus 3:7-8), parallels the divine announcement of Isaiah 33:10, and anticipates Jesus' assurance that God will vindicate His elect when they cry to Him (Luke 18:7-8).
- Psalm 12:5 (BSB)““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.””The LORD speaks, promising to rise and bring safety to the oppressed and needy.
- Exodus 3:7-8 (BSB)“The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings. I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.”God saw His people's affliction in Egypt, heard their cry, and came down to rescue them.
- Isaiah 33:10 (BSB)““Now I will arise,” says the LORD. “Now I will lift Myself up. Now I will be exalted.”The LORD announces that He will now arise and be exalted.
- Luke 18:7-8 (BSB)“Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay in helping them? I tell you, He will promptly carry out justice on their behalf. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?””God will bring justice for His elect who cry out to Him.
General
What attitude lies behind the boast recorded in 12:3-4?
Answer: They regard their speech as answerable to no one
David asks the LORD to cut off every flattering and boasting tongue (12:3). The boasters say that their tongues will win for them, that their lips belong to them, and they ask who could ever be lord over them (12:4). They treat speech as their own weapon, accountable to no one. But no one is truly independent of God. James warns that the tongue is small but brags loudly and can set a whole life on fire (James 3:5-6). Jesus taught that every thoughtless word people speak will be answered for when God judges (Matthew 12:36).
- Psalm 12:3-4 (BSB)“May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue. They say, “With our tongues we will prevail. We own our lips—who can be our master?””David asks God to silence boastful tongues that claim no one is their master.
- James 3:5-6 (BSB)“In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it boasts of great things. Consider how small a spark sets a great forest ablaze. The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”The tongue boasts of great things and can set a whole life ablaze.
- Matthew 12:36 (BSB)“But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.”People will give an account for every careless word on the day of judgment.
Theological
What does the boast of 12:4 reveal about the speakers?
Answer: They regard their speech as answerable to no one
The imprecation that the LORD silence flattering lips and boastful tongues (12:3) is followed by the boasters' own words: they expect to prevail by their tongues, claim their lips as their own, and deny any master over them (12:4). The boast is a claim of autonomy, speech that owns no accountability to God. James 3:5-6 describes the tongue's arrogant and destructive power, and Matthew 12:36 teaches that every careless word will be answered for at the judgment.
- Psalm 12:3-4 (BSB)“May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue. They say, “With our tongues we will prevail. We own our lips—who can be our master?””David asks God to silence boastful tongues that claim no one is their master.
- James 3:5-6 (BSB)“In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it boasts of great things. Consider how small a spark sets a great forest ablaze. The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”The tongue boasts of great things and can set a whole life ablaze.
- Matthew 12:36 (BSB)“But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.”People will give an account for every careless word on the day of judgment.