King James Version
Psalms 12
8 verses with commentary
The Faithful Have Vanished
To the chief Musician upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David. Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men. upon: or, upon the eighth Help: or, Save
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.</strong> Psalm 12 opens with urgent cry in desperate times—godliness and faithfulness seem vanished from society. This lament reflects historical periods when the righteous were few and wickedness dominated, whether during corrupt kings' reigns, periods of apostasy, or times of persecution.<br><br>...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(1) **Ceaseth.**—Intransitive, as in Psalm 7:9.
**The faithful.**—The Vulg. and Syriac treat this word as abstract: “truth,” “faithfulness.” So Ewald; but the parallelism here, as in Psalm 31:23, requires it in the concrete. (Comp. 2Samuel 20:19.) The Hebrew is cognate with “amen,” and Luther has “amen’s leute,” *people as good as their word.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**24. Expressing Job's faith as to the state after death. Though one must go to the grave, yet He will no more afflict in the ruin of the body (so Hebrew for "grave") there, if one has cried to Him when being destroyed. The "stretching of His hand" to punish after death answers antithetically to the raising "the cry" of prayer in the second clause. Maurer gives another translation which accords wi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 12
The psalmist begs help of God, because there were none among men whom he durst trust.
--This psalm furnishes good thoughts for bad times; a man may comfort himself with such meditations and prayers. Let us see what makes the times bad, and when they may be said to be so. Ask the children of this world, What makes the times bad? they will tell you, Scarcity of money, decay of trade...
Read full commentary →They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak. a double: Heb. an heart and an heart
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.</strong> This verse specifies the godlessness lamented in verse 1, focusing on corrupt speech characterized by emptiness, flattery, and duplicity. When faithfulness disappears, language becomes weaponized for selfish ends rather than used for truth and building relationships.<br><br>...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **Vanity.**—So in Psalm 41:6 and Job 35:13. Literally, *evil. *“Falsehood” would be better. This verse may have been in St Paul’s mind (Ephesians 4:25).
**Flattering lips.**—Literally, *lips of smoothness, *(Comp. Note, Psalm 5:9.)
**With a double heart.**—Literally, *with a heart and a heart. *(Comp. 1Chronicles 12:33.) “One for the Church, another for the Change; one for Sundays, another for...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
25. May I not be allowed to complain of my calamity, and beg relief, seeing that I myself sympathized with those "in trouble" (literally, "hard of day"; those who had a hard time of it).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 12
The psalmist begs help of God, because there were none among men whom he durst trust.
--This psalm furnishes good thoughts for bad times; a man may comfort himself with such meditations and prayers. Let us see what makes the times bad, and when they may be said to be so. Ask the children of this world, What makes the times bad? they will tell you, Scarcity of money, decay of trade...
Read full commentary →The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things: proud: Heb. great
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KJV Study Commentary
The prayer that God would 'cut off flattering lips' addresses the sin of deceitful speech. The Hebrew 'chalaq' (flattering/smooth) describes speech designed to manipulate. The 'boastful tongue' that speaks of 'great things' parallels the Antichrist's arrogant claims (Daniel 7:8, Revelation 13:5). Reformed theology sees flattery as theft—stealing glory from God and manipulating others for selfish g...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **The Lord shall.**—Translate, *May Jehovah cut off.*
**Proud things.**—Literally, *great things. *Vulg., *linguam magniloquam.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
26. I may be allowed to crave help, seeing that, "when I looked for good (on account of my piety and charity), yet evil," &c.
**light--**(Job 22:28).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 12
The psalmist begs help of God, because there were none among men whom he durst trust.
--This psalm furnishes good thoughts for bad times; a man may comfort himself with such meditations and prayers. Let us see what makes the times bad, and when they may be said to be so. Ask the children of this world, What makes the times bad? they will tell you, Scarcity of money, decay of trade...
Read full commentary →Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us? are: Heb. are with us
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KJV Study Commentary
The wicked claim autonomy: 'our lips are our own—who is lord over us?' This is the essence of human rebellion—asserting self-sovereignty. The Hebrew 'adon' (lord/master) indicates ownership and authority. This anticipates Romans 1's description of exchanging truth for a lie and refusing to acknowledge God (Romans 1:25, 28). Reformed theology identifies this as the root sin: autonomy replacing theo...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **With our tongue.**—This is the proud saying just mentioned, and is plainly a boast of the power possessed by those who have the ear of persons in authority, and can adroitly “make the worse appear the better cause”; or being themselves in high places, can, like Angelo in *Measure for Measure, *defy the accusations of their victims:—
“Who will believe thee, Isabel?
My place in the State
Will ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**27. bowels--**regarded as the seat of deep feeling (Is 16:11).
**boiled--**violently heated and agitated.
**prevented--**Old English for "unexpectedly came upon" me, "surprised" me.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 12
The psalmist begs help of God, because there were none among men whom he durst trust.
--This psalm furnishes good thoughts for bad times; a man may comfort himself with such meditations and prayers. Let us see what makes the times bad, and when they may be said to be so. Ask the children of this world, What makes the times bad? they will tell you, Scarcity of money, decay of trade...
Read full commentary →For 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. puffeth: or, would ensnare him
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>For 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.</strong> This verse dramatically shifts from lament (vv.1-4) to divine promise. After describing corrupt speech and societal evil, the psalm suddenly presents God's first-person declaration of intervention. This is the LORD's direct response...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **For the oppression**—*i.e.*, on account of the oppression. Here, as in so many psalms and prophecies, we have an ancient oracle of God introduced. The poet first quotes it, and then in Psalm 12:6 contrasts its truth and genuineness with the false speeches of hypocrites.
**I will set.**—Literally, *I will set in safety; he blows at it: *which may mean either, “I will ensure him of the safety ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**28. mourning--**rather, I move about blackened, though not by the sun; that is, whereas many are blackened by the sun, I am, by the heat of God's wrath (so "boiled," Job 30:27); the elephantiasis covering me with blackness of skin (Job 30:30), as with the garb of mourning (Jr 14:2). This striking enigmatic form of Hebrew expression occurs, Is 29:9.
**stood up--**as an innocent man crying for j...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 12
The psalmist begs help of God, because there were none among men whom he durst trust.
--This psalm furnishes good thoughts for bad times; a man may comfort himself with such meditations and prayers. Let us see what makes the times bad, and when they may be said to be so. Ask the children of this world, What makes the times bad? they will tell you, Scarcity of money, decay of trade...
Read full commentary →The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.</strong> After promising to arise and deliver the oppressed (v.5), God's character finds further testimony in the absolute purity of His words. This verse contrasts sharply with the corrupt speech described in verses 2-4. While human words are empty, flattering, and double-hearted, God's word...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **As silver.**—This solemn promise of Jehovah may be relied on, for His words are not like those of deceitful men—alloyed with self and falsehood—but are pure as silver seven times smelted.
**In a furnace**.—Either a “workshop” or a “crucible,” according as derived.
**Of earth.**—These words are difficult; they must mean either *in earth, *referring to the ashes in which the smelted silver fal...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**29. dragons ... owls--**rather, "jackals," "ostriches," both of which utter dismal screams (Mi 1:8); in which respect, as also in their living amidst solitudes (the emblem of desolation), Job is their brother and companion; that is, resembles them. "Dragon," Hebrew, tannim, usually means the crocodile; so perhaps here, its open jaws lifted towards heaven, and its noise making it seem as if it mo...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 12
The psalmist begs help of God, because there were none among men whom he durst trust.
--This psalm furnishes good thoughts for bad times; a man may comfort himself with such meditations and prayers. Let us see what makes the times bad, and when they may be said to be so. Ask the children of this world, What makes the times bad? they will tell you, Scarcity of money, decay of trade...
Read full commentary →Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. them from: Heb. him, etc: that is, every one of them, etc
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.</strong> The psalm concludes with confident prayer that God will keep His promises and protect His people. This verse's interpretation depends on identifying "them"—either God's words (from v.6) or God's people (the poor and needy from v.5). Both interpretations have merit and truth; likely the psalmist i...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**30. upon me--**rather, as in Job 30:17 (see on Job 30:17), "my skin is black (and falls away) from me."
**my bones--**(Job 19:20; Psa 102:5).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 12
The psalmist begs help of God, because there were none among men whom he durst trust.
--This psalm furnishes good thoughts for bad times; a man may comfort himself with such meditations and prayers. Let us see what makes the times bad, and when they may be said to be so. Ask the children of this world, What makes the times bad? they will tell you, Scarcity of money, decay of trade...
Read full commentary →The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted. men: Heb. of the sons of the men
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse describes a vicious cycle: the wicked freely strut when vileness is exalted among humanity. The Hebrew 'halak saviv' (walk all around) suggests unrestrained movement. When culture celebrates vice as virtue, wickedness becomes unashamed and public. This anticipates Paul's description of those who not only practice sin but celebrate those who do (Romans 1:32). Reformed theology calls this...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **The wicked.**—Gesenius translates this verse, “The wicked walk on every side like the rising of a tempest upon the sons of men.” There seems no reason to question his rendering of the word *zullûth *(Authorised Version, “vilest”), which is peculiar to this passage; but by comparison with Psalm 39:6; Psalm 58:7, we may render the first clause, *the wicked vanish on every side; *and a slight c...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**31. organ--**rather, "pipe" (Job 21:12). "My joy is turned into the voice of weeping" (La 5:15). These instruments are properly appropriated to joy (Is 30:29, 32), which makes their use now in sorrow the sadder by contrast.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 12
The psalmist begs help of God, because there were none among men whom he durst trust.
--This psalm furnishes good thoughts for bad times; a man may comfort himself with such meditations and prayers. Let us see what makes the times bad, and when they may be said to be so. Ask the children of this world, What makes the times bad? they will tell you, Scarcity of money, decay of trade...
Read full commentary →