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Joseph Benson’s Bible Commentary

Psalms 12:3

The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips All such as speak kind things to any one, at the same time that they mean quite the contrary in their hearts; and the tongue that speaketh proud things Hebrew, גדלות, gedoleth, great things, or, great words, boasting what they have done, or declaring, or threatening what they will do, and what great things they will effect, namely, with their tongues, as they themselves explain it in the next words.

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See also Psalms 12:3 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Psalms 12:3. _PROUD THINGS_] גדלות _gedoloth, great things_; great swelling words, both in their _promises_ and in their _commendations_....

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    THE LORD SHALL CUT OFF - This might be rendered, “May the Lord cut off,” implying a wish on the part of the psalmist that it might occur. But probably the common rendering is the correct one. It is th...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    Psalms 12 _ 1. The arrogance of the wicked in the last days (Psalms 12:1)_ 2. Then Jehovah will act and deliver His people (Psalms 12:5) Psalms 1

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    XII. A PRAYER OF FAITHFUL JEWS AGAINST THE ARROGANT TONGUE OF THE UNGODLY. Psalms 12:1_._ The godly man ceaseth (see Psalms 4:1). The wicked acknowledge no responsibility for their words: they say, T...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    THE TONGUE, &C. Quoted in James 3:5....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Render: May Jehovah cut off &c. Cp. Psalms 31:17-18. _proud things_ Lit. as R.V., great things; further defined in Psalms 12:4....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The prayer for help passes into a prayer for the excision of these false-hearted braggarts. Cp. Psalms 5:10....

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    THAT SPEAKETH PROUD THINGS— The Hebrew word גדלות _gedoloth_ signifies _great things,_ or _great words;_ for the more artificial and dissembling a man is, the more he affects a pompous formality in hi...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    PSALMS 12 DESCRIPTIVE TITLE General Corruption, Evidenced by Sin of the Tongue, Impels to Prayer and Calls Forth a Divine Answer. ANALYSIS In Stanzas I. and II. (Psalms 12:1-4), the Petitioner Desc...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _THE LORD SHALL CUT OFF ALL FLATTERING LIPS, AND THE TONGUE THAT SPEAKETH PROUD THINGS:_ The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips - the expression of confident faith that the Lord will hear the pra...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    12:3 proud (i-12) Lit. 'great.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    BOOK 1 The Pss. in this book are probably among the earliest in the Psalter, and include most of those generally regarded as Davidic. They seem to have existed separately as an early hymn-book, which,...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Psalms 1:41 _GORDON CHURCHYARD_ Words in boxes are from the Bible. The notes explain some of the words with a *star by them. Tap the * before a word to show an explanation. The translated Bible tex...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THE LORD SHALL. — Translate, _May Jehovah cut off._ PROUD THINGS. — Literally, _great things._ Vulg., _linguam magniloquam. _...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    _[Psalms 12:4]_ יַכְרֵ֣ת יְ֭הוָה כָּל ־שִׂפְתֵ֣י חֲלָקֹ֑ות...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    Psalms 12:1 ONE penalty of living near God is keen pain from low lives. The ears that hear God's word cannot but be stunned and hurt by the babble of empty speech. This psalm is profoundly melancholy,...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    GOD OUR REFUGE AND DEFENSE Psalms 11:1; Psalms 12:1 The first of these is a debate between fear and faith, and dates from Saul's persecutions. Timid friends, anxious for David's safety, urged him to...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Out of a consciousness of the terrible evil of his times, the worshiper cries to Jehovah for help. The failure of godly men and faithful souls is always the gravest peril which can threaten a nation o...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Enemy; Saul, &c., or the devil. (St. Augustine) (Calmet)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    While the Lord's people are not earnest to assemble, the vain will assemble, and their conversation will be trifling. The children of this world are, in their generation, wiser than the children of li...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    To his complaint in the preceding verse he now subjoins an imprecation, that God would cut off deceitful tongues. It is uncertain whether he wishes that deceitful men may be utterly destroyed, or only...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Such is the general basis of the godly man's confidence and walk; but they are not insensible to the evil, but can present it to the Lord. This is the subject of Psalms 12, "Help, Jehovah, for the god...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    THE LORD SHALL CUT OFF ALL FLATTERING LIPS,.... This is either a prophecy or a prayer, as Aben Ezra and Kimchi observe; that God either would or should cut off such who used flattery with their lips,...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, [and] the tongue that speaketh proud things: Ver. 3. _The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips_] As a rotten member is cut off from the body - _Ne pars s...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things, great and swelling words of boastfulness, utterly uprooting the whole kingdom of lies;...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    PRAYER FOR GOD'S PROTECTION OF HIS CHURCH. This psalm again shows a prophetical strain; it is applicable throughout to the little flock, the poor, small crew of the Christian Church, in its many vici...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    PROUD THINGS: _ Heb._ great things...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    Or _great things_, or _great words_, either bragging or threatening what they will do, and what great things they will effect, to wit, by their tongues, as they themselves explain it in the next verse...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Psalms 12:3 LORD H3068 off H3772 (H8686) flattering H2513 lips H8193 tongue H3956 speaks H1696 (H8764) proud...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘YHWH will cut off all flattering lips, The tongue that makes great boasts, Who have said, ‘With our tongue will we prevail, Our lips are our own, who is lord over us?' ' YHWH assures him in his he...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Psalms 12:1. _Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men._ One might have thought that David still lived among us, his cry is so timely, so exactly tr...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Psalms 12:1. _Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men._ The Psalm speaks of a very discouraging time, and records a very dreary fact, but the psalm...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: A prayer for help against oppressors. CHARACTERS: God, David. CONCLUSION: The believer is commonly tempted to think that because trouble has lasted long, it will last always, but if he wil...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Psalms 12:1. _Help, Lord; for the godly,_ Hebrews חסיד _chasid,_ the merciful _man ceaseth._ The true reading is preferable, because it joins piety with usefulness. In this manner David is thought to...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips._ THE LAWLESSNESS OF THE TONGUE The language of agitators is indicated in this text, of men who think to carry everything by free speech, a free press, and...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth._ --This, according to the title, is one of David’s Psalms; but there is nothing in the circumstances, so far as we know them, of his history, which can lead us...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PSALM PSALM—NOTE ON PSALMS 12:1. This is a community lament, describing a time when liars are in positions of authority. ⇐...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PSALM—NOTE ON PSALMS 12:3 CUT OFF. By removing them from his people (see Leviticus 20:3)....

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    INTRODUCTION “This, according to the title, is one of David’s psalms, but there is nothing in the circumstances, so far as we know them, of his history which can lead us to associate the psalm with an...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ANOTHER Davidical psalm, both according to the title and to the general opinion of critics; said (like Psalms 6:1.) to be "upon Sheminith"—an expression of uncertain meaning. It consists of...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    The chief musician upon octaves, the psalm of David. Psalms 12:1-8. Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men (Psalms 12:1). Remember when Elijah sai...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Samuel 17:43; 1 Samuel 17:44; 1 Samuel 2:3; 2 Kings 19:23; 2 K

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