Psalms 12:1-6

God, a Helper against the Treacherous.

1 Help, LORD, for 1the godly man ceases to be, For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.
2 They 2speak falsehood to one another; With 3flattering lips and with a double heart they speak.
3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, The tongue that 4speaks great things;
4 Who 5have said, "With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?"
5 "Because of the 6devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, Now 7I will arise," says the LORD; "I will 8set him in the safety for which he longs."
6 The 9words of the LORD are pure words; As silver 10tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.

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.

Cross References 10

  • 1. Isaiah 57:1; Micah 7:2
  • 2. Psalms 10:7; Psalms 41:6
  • 3. Psalms 28:3; Psalms 55:21; Jeremiah 9:8; Romans 16:18
  • 4. Daniel 7:8; Revelation 13:5
  • 5. Psalms 73:8, 9
  • 6. Psalms 9:9; Psalms 10:18
  • 7. Isaiah 33:10
  • 8. Psalms 34:6; Psalms 35:10
  • 9. 2 Samuel 22:31; Psalms 18:30; Psalms 19:8, 10; Psalms 119:140
  • 10. Proverbs 30:5

Footnotes 3

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California.  All rights reserved.