Psalms 12:2

2 Every one utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

Psalms 12:2 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 12:2

They speak vanity everyone with his neighbour
That which is false and a lie, either doctrinal or practical; what was not according to the word of God, and was vain and empty, frothy, filthy, and corrupt; and which no godly and faithful man would do. And this being done in common, by the generality of men, one with another, shows the degeneracy of the age, and supports the complaint before made. They speak even

[with] flattering lips;
as Cain did to Abel, Joab to Amasa, the Herodians to Christ, Judas to his Master, false teachers to those that are simple, hypocrites to God himself, when they draw nigh to him only with their lips, and all formal professors to the churches of Christ, when they profess themselves to be what they are not. And this is a further proof of the justness of the above complaint;

[and] with a double heart do they speak:
or "with an heart and an heart" F4; such are double minded men, who say one thing, and mean another; their words are not to be depended upon; there is no faithfulness in them. The Chinese F5 reckon a man of "two hearts", as they call him, a very wicked man, and none more remote from honesty.


FOOTNOTES:

F4 (blw blb) "in corde & corde", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Gejerus.
F5 Martin. Sinic. Hist. p. 144. a heart having (dicomuyon nohma) , a double meaning, as Pittacus says, Laert. in Vit. Pittac. l. 1. p. 53.

Psalms 12:2 In-Context

1 To the choirmaster: according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David. Help, LORD; for there is no longer any that is godly; for the faithful have vanished from among the sons of men.
2 Every one utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts,
4 those who say, "With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is our master?"
5 "Because the poor are despoiled, because the needy groan, I will now arise," says the LORD; "I will place him in the safety for which he longs."
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.