Psalms 5:9

For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.

Parallel to Psalms 5:4; as Psalms 5:10 is to Psalms 5:6. Seven characteristics of the wicked.

For - assigning the reason why he needed to be 'led in God's righteousness' (Psalms 5:8) - namely, because of the great sinfulness and insidiousness of his enemies.

No faithfulness, х nªkownaah (H3559)] - steadfastness. No fixed principle to make their professions with "their mouth" trustworthy (Psalms 62:4, end).

Their inward part - their heart, the seat of the feelings, as distinguished from the mouth, the organ of words.

Their throat is an open sepulchre - `emitting in impious language the noisome exhalations of a putrid heart entombed in a body of sin' (Dr. Horne). The throat is used as an organ of speech (Psalms 115:7), and of swallowing. Malignant and treacherous speeches are the weapons wherewith their kill and devour, as a sepulchre opened to receive its victim (Jeremiah 5:16; Psalms 35:25; Psalms 124:3).

If They flatter with their tongue - Hebrew, 'they make smooth х yachª;ouquwn (H2505)] their tongue.' If ever they speak what is good, it is in order the more effectually to destroy. 'By plausible arguments, contriving to set a fair appearance upon mischievous maxims' (Horsley).