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Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament

Psalms 12

Psalm 12: a cry for help when faithful men fail and the Lord's pure words

General context

The psalm opens with a cry for help because the godly man ceases and the faithful fail from among the children of men. Everyone speaks vanity with his neighbour, with flattering lips and a double heart. The speaker says the Lord will cut off all flattering lips and the tongue that speaks proud things, quoting those who say that with their tongue they will prevail, that their lips are their own, and asking who is lord over them. The Lord himself is then quoted: for the oppression of the poor and the sighing of the needy he will now arise and set the needy in safety from the one who puffs at him. The speaker says the words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth and purified seven times, and tells the Lord that he will keep and preserve them from this generation for ever. The psalm ends by observing that the wicked walk on every side when the vilest men are exalted.

Cited passages: Psalms 12:1, Psalms 12:2, Psalms 12:3, Psalms 12:4, Psalms 12:5, Psalms 12:6, Psalms 12:7, Psalms 12:8

Psalms 12 (KJV)

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.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The text as printed carries no heading, so nothing about author, instrument or occasion is stated in this source. Two sets of quoted words appear: the proud speakers in verse 4, introduced by "Who have said", and the Lord in verse 5, marked by "saith the Lord". The speaker's own cry is the frame around them. "Them" in verse 7, whom the Lord will keep and preserve, follows the mention of the Lord's words in verse 6 and the needy in verse 5, and the English does not settle which is meant. "This generation" is not dated or described beyond the failing of the faithful and the exalting of the vilest men. The psalm gives no name, place or Selah. It does not say what the oppression of the poor consisted of, and it does not report any outcome after the Lord's promise to arise; the last verse still describes the wicked walking on every side.

Cited passages: Psalms 12:4, Psalms 12:5, Psalms 12:7, Psalms 12:1, Psalms 12:8

Literary context

The psalm is about words and sets two kinds against each other. Human speech is described as vanity, flattering lips, a double heart, a tongue that speaks proud things, and the proud speakers are quoted claiming their lips as their own. The Lord's speech answers in verse 5 with the word "now", and verse 6 describes his words with an image of refining, silver tried in a furnace and purified seven times, so that purity stands against doubleness. The opening word "Help" is answered by the Lord's "I will set him in safety". The poem's shape is a cry (verse 1), a complaint (2-4), a divine reply (5), a reflection on that reply (6-7), and a closing line that returns to the present state of things (8), so the last note is the wicked still walking on every side rather than a resolution. The question "who is lord over us?" stands unanswered in the mouths of the proud but is answered by "saith the Lord" in the next verse.

Cited passages: Psalms 12:2, Psalms 12:4, Psalms 12:6, Psalms 12:1, Psalms 12:5, Psalms 12:8

Key moments

  1. Help, Lord (Psalms 12:1). The speaker cries for help because the godly cease and the faithful fail.
  2. Flattering lips, double heart (Psalms 12:2). Everyone speaks vanity to his neighbour with a double heart.
  3. Who is lord over us? (Psalms 12:4). The proud claim their lips as their own and ask who is lord over them.
  4. Now will I arise (Psalms 12:5). The Lord says he will arise for the oppression of the poor and set the needy in safety.
  5. Silver purified seven times (Psalms 12:6). The Lord's words are called pure, like refined silver.
  6. The wicked walk on every side (Psalms 12:8). The psalm ends with the wicked everywhere when the vilest are exalted.

For reflection

The Lord's promise to arise comes in the middle of the poem, yet the last verse still shows the wicked walking on every side; what is the effect of ending there instead of with the promise?

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