Psalm 12

Psalm 12 belongs to Book One of the Psalms (Psalms 1–41). Whereas the preceding Psalm 11 confesses trust in the LORD even in the face of the wicked, Psalm 12 laments a world full of liars and calls on the LORD to intervene. The superscription reads, "To the chief Musician upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David." Sheminith is a musical term generally understood to mean "the eighth"; it also appears in the superscription of Psalm 6.

Structure

• Verses 1–2 The psalmist cries to the LORD for help, lamenting that the godly and the faithful have ceased. People speak falsehood to their neighbors, with flattering lips and a double heart.
• Verses 3–4 The psalmist asks the LORD to cut off flattering lips and the tongue that speaks proud things. The wicked say, "With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?"
• Verse 5 The LORD Himself speaks. Because the poor are oppressed and the needy sigh, He declares that He will now arise and set them in safety.
• Verses 6–8 The psalmist confesses that the words of the LORD are pure, like silver tried in a furnace of earth and purified seven times. He then expresses confidence that the LORD will preserve them from this generation forever, while once more describing a reality in which the vilest men are exalted and the wicked walk on every side.

Key Verses

• Psalm 12:5 "Now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him." — A direct answer from God stands at the center of the lament.
• Psalm 12:6 "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times." — The verse sets the false words of human beings against the true words of God.

People and Places

• David — Named in the superscription as the author of the psalm.
• The LORD — The one to whom the psalmist cries; He speaks directly in verse 5.

Points for Reflection

• The psalm is built around the theme of speech. The lying, flattering, and boastful words of the wicked are contrasted with the pure words of the LORD.
• Interpretations differ over who is meant by "them" whom the LORD will keep in verse 7. Many translations and commentaries take it to refer to the poor and needy of verse 5, while some read it as meaning that the words of verse 6 will be preserved.
• Verse 6 celebrates the purity of God's word in a manner similar to Proverbs 30:5–6, "Every word of God is pure." The psalm's warnings about the "double heart" and the tongue connect thematically with the teaching on the tongue in James 3.

In the Korean Church

Verse 6 is frequently cited in sermons and Bible studies on the purity and trustworthiness of Scripture.