Psalm 12

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 12

It is supposed that David penned this psalm in Saul's reign, when there was a general decay of honesty and piety both in court and country, which he here complains of to God, and very feelingly, for he himself suffered by the treachery of his false friends and the insolence of his sworn enemies. I. He begs help of God, because there were none among men whom he durst trust, Ps. 12:1, 2. II. He foretels the destruction of his proud and threatening enemies, Ps. 12:3, 4. III. He assures himself... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 12:1-8

This psalm furnishes us with good thoughts for bad times, in which, though the prudent will keep silent (Amos 5:13) because a man may then be made an offender for a word, yet we may comfort ourselves with such suitable meditations and prayers as are here got ready to our hand. I. Let us see here what it is that makes the times bad, and when they may be said to be so. Ask the children of this world what it is in their account that makes the times bad, and they will tell you, Scarcity of money,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 12

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 12 To the chief Musician upon Sheminith, a Psalm of David . The word "sheminith" is used in the title of Psalm 6:1 , and signifies "eighth"; and intends either the eighth note, to which the psalm was sung, or rather the harp of eight chords, to which it was set, as the Targum and Jarchi interpret it. Some Jewish writers F25 Sepher Lekach Shechachah apud Caphtor, fol. 64. 1. & Ceseph Misnah in Maimon. Hilch. Teshuvah, c. 9. understand it of the times of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 12:1

Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth ,.... A godly man, according to the notation of the word F26 חסיד "passive pro beneficiario, sive alterius beneficiis gratiosis cumulato", Gejerus. , is one that has received grace and mercy of the Lord; as pardoning mercy, justifying and adopting grace; and who has principles of grace, goodness, and holiness, wrought in him; who fears the Lord, and serves him acceptably, with reverence and godly fear, and sorrows for sin, after a godly sort; who... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 12:3

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, by inflicting some judgment in this life, or everlasting punishment hereafter; by taking them away by death "out of the world", as the Targum paraphrases it; or by casting them into hell, where all liars and deceitful persons will have their portion; see Job 32:21 ; and the tongue that... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 12:4

Who have said, with our tongue will we prevail ,.... Either through the eloquence of them, or the outward force and power with which they are backed. The sense is, as we say, so shall it be; our words are laws, and shall be obeyed, there is no standing against them; our edicts and decrees shall everywhere be regarded: or "we will make one to prevail", or "have the dominion" F7 נגביר "prevalere ac dominare, faciemus, scil. aliquem regem, dominum", Cocceius. ; meaning antichrist, the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 12:5

For the oppression of the poor ,.... The servants and people of God, who, for the most part, are poor in a temporal sense, and are all of them, and always, so in a spiritual sense, standing continually in need of fresh supplies of grace; and being often afflicted, as the word signifies, are mean and despicable in the eyes of the men of this world, and so oppressed by them, as the poor generally are by the rich; and as the people of Israel were oppressed by the Egyptians, so are the people of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 12:6

The words of the Lord are pure words ,.... This observation the psalmist makes in reference to what is just now said in Psalm 12:5 ,, and in opposition to the words of wicked men in Psalm 12:2 ; which are deceitful, sinful, and impure. The Scriptures are the words of God; and they are pure and holy, free from all human mixtures, and from all fraud and deceit; they are the Scriptures of truth. The promises are the words of God, and they are firm and stable, and always to be depended on,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 12:7

Thou shall keep them, O Lord ,.... Not the words before mentioned, as Aben Ezra explains it, for the affix is masculine and not feminine; not but God has wonderfully kept and preserved the sacred writings; and he keeps every word of promise which he has made; and the doctrines of the Gospel will always continue from one generation to another; but the sense is, that God will keep the poor and needy, and such as he sets in safety, as Kimchi rightly observes: they are not their own keepers, but... read more

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