Psalms 12:1-8·~1 min

The Godly Are No More

The psalm begins with the sense that the godly are vanishing and that neighborly speech has become hollow, flattering, and double-hearted. From that decay David asks the LORD to cut off proud lips that imagine speech alone can secure mastery and freedom from accountability.

F¹or the choirmaster. According to Sheminith. A Psalm of David. ²They lie to one another; ³May the LORD cut off all flattering lips ⁴They say, “With our tongues we will prevail.

The LORD declares that because of the oppression and groaning of the poor he will now arise and provide the safety they long for. His promise is then praised as perfectly pure, and that purity grounds confidence that he will guard his own even while the wicked still roam and vileness is celebrated around them.

⁵“For the cause of the oppressed ⁶The words of the LORD are flawless, ⁷You, O LORD, will keep us; ⁸The wicked wander freely,

Section summaryDavid cries for help because faithful people seem scarce and deceitful speech rules among the wicked, who trust their tongues as instruments of power. The LORD answers that he will rise for the oppressed, and the psalm closes by setting his pure words over against the corruption of the age while asking him to guard his people within it.

Role in the chapterThis single section makes the moral collapse of language itself a matter for prayer. It teaches that lies, flattery, and boastful speech are forms of oppression, and that only the LORD's unalloyed word can sustain the faithful when falsehood is honored in public life.