Psalms 12:3

3 Silence those flattering tongues, O Lord! Close those boastful mouths that say,

Psalms 12:3 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 12:3

The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips
This is either a prophecy or a prayer, as Aben Ezra and Kimchi observe; 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", as the Targum paraphrases it; or by casting them into hell, where all liars and deceitful persons will have their portion; see ( Job 32:21 Job 32:22 ) ;

[and] the tongue that speaketh proud things,
or "great things" ^F6, as the little horn, ( Daniel 7:20 Daniel 7:25 ) ; and the beast, or Romish antichrist, who is designed by both, ( Revelation 13:5 Revelation 13:6 ) ; and which will be accomplished when Christ shall destroy him with the breath of his mouth, and the brightness of his coming; and indeed every tongue that riseth up against God, Christ, and his people, will be condemned; when ungodly sinners will be convinced of all their hard speeches, ( Isaiah 54:17 ) ( Jude 1:15 ) . Perhaps some regard may be had to the tongue of Doeg the Edomite; see ( Psalms 52:3-5 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F6 (twldg) "magna", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Piscator, Gejerus, Michaelis; "grandia", Cocceius.

Psalms 12:3 In-Context

1 Help us, Lord! There is not a good person left; honest people can no longer be found.

2 All of them lie to one another; they deceive each other with flattery.

3 Silence those flattering tongues, O Lord! Close those boastful mouths that say,

4 "With our words we get what we want. We will say what we wish, and no one can stop us."

5 "But now I will come," says the Lord, "because the needy are oppressed and the persecuted groan in pain. I will give them the security they long for."