Psalms 12:1-6

Psalm 12

For the music leader. According to the Sheminith. A psalm of David.

1 Help, LORD, because the godly are all gone; the faithful have completely disappeared from the human race!

2 Everyone tells lies to everyone else; they talk with slick speech and divided hearts.

3 Let the LORD cut off all slick-talking lips and every tongue that brags and brags,

4 that says, "We're unbeatable with our tongues! Who could get the best of us with lips like ours?"

5 But the LORD says, "Because the poor are oppressed, because of the groans of the needy, I'm now standing up. I will provide the help they are gasping for."

6 The LORD's promises are pure, like silver that's been refined in an oven, purified seven times over!

Read Chapter Compare

Psalms 12:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

To the chief Musician upon Sheminith, a Psalm of David. The word "sheminith" is used in the title of Psalm 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 and Jarchi interpret it. Some Jewish writers {y} understand it of the times of the Messiah; and the Syriac version entitles the psalm, "an accusation of the wicked, and a prophecy concerning the coming of the Messiah:" and the Arabic version says, it is concerning the end of the world, which shall be in the eighth day; and concerning the coming of the Messiah: but Arnobius interprets it of the Lord's day.

{y} Sepher Lekach Shechachah apud Caphtor, fol. 64. 1. & Ceseph Misnah in Maimon. Hilch. Teshuvah, c. 9.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Footnotes 2

[a]. Perhaps a reference to an eight-string instrument; also in Ps 6
[b]. Heb uncertain