Psalms — Chapter 12

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1For 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.

2They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart.

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.”

6The words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace, like gold purified sevenfold.

7You, O LORD, will keep us; You will forever guard us from this generation.

8The wicked wander freely, and vileness is exalted among men.

1Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.

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

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

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

5For 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.

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

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

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

1Help, Jehovah; for the godly man ceaseth; For the faithful fail from among the children of men.

2They speak falsehood every one with his neighbor: With flattering lip, and with a double heart, do they speak.

3Jehovah will cut off all flattering lips, The tongue that speaketh great things;

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

5Because of the oppression of the poor, because of the sighing of the needy, Now will I arise, saith Jehovah; I will set him in the safety he panteth for.

6The words of Jehovah are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, Purified seven times.

7Thou wilt keep them, O Jehovah, Thou wilt preserve them from this generation for ever.

8The wicked walk on every side, When vileness is exalted among the sons of men. Psalm 13 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1For the music director, according to the sheminith style; a psalm of David. Deliver, Lord! For the godly have disappeared; people of integrity have vanished.

2People lie to one another; they flatter and deceive.

3May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that boasts!

4They say, “We speak persuasively; we know how to flatter and boast. Who is our master?”

5“Because of the violence done to the oppressed, because of the painful cries of the needy, I will spring into action,” says the Lord. “I will provide the safety they so desperately desire.”

6The Lord’s words are absolutely reliable. They are as untainted as silver purified in a furnace on the ground, where it is thoroughly refined.

7You, Lord, will protect the oppressed; you will continually shelter each one from these evil people,

8for the wicked seem to be everywhere, when people promote evil.

1Help, Yahweh; for the godly man ceases. For the faithful fail from among the children of men.

2Everyone lies to his neighbor. They speak with flattering lips, and with a double heart.

3May Yahweh cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that boasts,

4who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail. Our lips are our own. Who is lord over us?”

5“Because of the oppression of the weak and because of the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,” says Yahweh; “I will set him in safety from those who malign him.”

6Yahweh’s words are flawless words, as silver refined in a clay furnace, purified seven times.

7You will keep them, Yahweh. You will preserve them from this generation forever.

8The wicked walk on every side, when what is vile is exalted among the sons of men.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

A lament over the collapse of honesty and loyalty in society. David observes that the godly and faithful seem to have vanished, replaced by people who flatter and deceive their neighbors (vv. 1-2), and asks God to silence proud, boastful speech, particularly from those who claim their words give them power over others (vv. 3-4). Because of the oppression of the poor and needy, the LORD promises to rise up and provide the safety they long for (v. 5). God's own words are described as pure, like silver refined seven times over, utterly trustworthy compared to human speech (v. 6). The psalm ends with confidence that God will guard the needy from this deceitful generation, even while the wicked continue to strut about and vileness is celebrated among people (vv. 7-8).

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses.
Classification: Communal Lament
Attributed Author: David — "To the chief Musician upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David"
Key Themes: The disappearance of godly people, corrupt speech (flattery, lies, boasting), God's pure words contrasted with human deception, divine intervention for the oppressed
Historical Context: David laments a society where faithful people seem to have vanished and deceitful speech dominates. "Sheminith" (the eighth) again indicates a low-pitched musical setting. The central contrast is between human words (vv.2-4: flattery, lies, boasting) and God's words (v.6: pure as silver refined seven times). The psalm's great contribution is v.6 — one of the strongest statements of Scripture's purity in all the Bible. God's response (v.5) comes as a direct divine oracle mid-psalm: "Now will I arise." This is rare — God speaking directly within a psalm.
Help, LORD, for the Godly Man Ceaseth (v.1): Help, LORD, for the godly man ceaseth, for the faithful fail from among the children of men. One verse of assessment, and it is the same complaint as Isaiah 57:1 and Micah 7:2: not that the wicked are strong but that the good are running out. The verb is one of numbers dwindling rather than of defeat.
They Speak with a Double Heart (vv.2-4): They speak vanity every one with his neighbour, with flattering lips and with a double heart. The problem this psalm is about is speech, and the petition against it is specific to the organ, the LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things. Then the boast is quoted and it is a claim of independence, with our tongue will we prevail, our lips are our own, who is lord over us.
Now Will I Arise, Saith the LORD (v.5): For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD. One verse, and it is the only place in the psalm where God speaks. What moves him is named as a sound rather than an argument, the sighing of the needy, and what he promises is stated in their own terms, I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.
The Words of the LORD Are Pure Words (v.6): The words of the LORD are pure words, as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. The verse is placed immediately after God's one speech in the psalm and immediately after four verses about human speech that cannot be trusted, so the comparison is the argument. And the image is technical: silver refined seven times is a specification, not a flourish.
Thou Shalt Preserve Them (vv.7-8): Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. The promise is made without any claim that the conditions will improve, and the last verse of the psalm says so, the wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted. The psalm ends where it began, with the faithful in a minority, and what has changed in between is that God has been quoted.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

The Pure & Precious Word of God – Psalm 12
David Guzik

Psalm 12 | No One Is Faithful Anymore | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Psalm 12 - The Words of Man and the Word of God
David Guzik

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of Psalms -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • The Loneliness of Faithfulness (v.1) — David feels that godly people have vanished around him, leaving him surrounded by deception. When faithfulness feels isolating, do you remember that you are not as alone as it feels?
  • Flattering Lips, Double Hearts (vv.2-4) — David describes a culture where people speak smoothly while concealing false intentions. Are you careful to let your words match what is actually in your heart?
  • God Speaks Directly Into the Crisis (v.5) — In response to the cry of the needy, God declares that He will now arise and act. Do you trust that even a simple, wordless groan reaches God and moves Him to act?
  • Words Refined Like Silver (v.6) — In contrast to corrupt human speech, God's words are described as pure, tested seven times over. Are you building your convictions on words that have proven trustworthy, or on whatever voices are loudest around you?
  • God Preserves What Is His (v.7) — The psalm closes with confidence that God guards and keeps what belongs to Him. In a culture that often rewards the wrong voices, do you trust God to preserve what is faithful to Him?