Psalms 12:3
in Psalms 12May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Jehovah will cut off all flattering lips, The tongue that speaketh great things;
KJV
The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:
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This verse in Psalms 12
Commentary
14 notes on this verseWhen the Lord wipes out those things that are base, he will destroy those very things, so that when those things that have come on a person unexpectedly have been destroyed, the foremost creation of God whom the baser things had overtaken may take up the higher things.
This site's exposition
cut off all flattering lips
on Psalms 12:3-4
Verse 3 asks the LORD to cut off the flattering lips of verse 2 and every boastful tongue with them. Verse 4 gives their boast, that their tongues will prevail and no one is their master. Spurgeon reads it as the tongue made its own sovereign.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
"May the Lord destroy all deceitful lips" [Psalm 12:3]. He says "all," that no one may suppose himself excepted: as the Apostle says, "Upon every soul of man that does evil, of the Jew first, and of the Greek." [Romans 2:9] "The tongue speaking great things:" the proud tongue.
Consider the piety of the speaker, for he does not direct his prayer against people, since many of them needed to be converted, but against the vices themselves.
A commentator
Clement of RomeClement's First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 15 · Written before 99.
proposed
Let us cleave, therefore, to those who cultivate peace with godliness, and not to those who hypocritically profess to desire it. For [the Scripture] saith in a certain place, "This people honoureth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me." [Isaiah 29:13] And again: "They bless with their mouth, but curse with their heart." [Psalm 62:4] And again it saith, "They loved Him with their mouth, and lied to Him with their tongue; but their heart was not right with Him, neither were they faithful in His covenant." [Psalm 78:36-37] "Let the deceitful lips become silent," [and "let the Lord destroy all the lying lips, ] and the boastful tongue of those who have said, Let us magnify our tongue; our lips are our own; who is lord over us? For the oppression of the poor, and for the sighing of the needy, will I now arise, saith the Lord: I will place him in safety; I will deal confidently with him." [Psalm 12:3-5]
Do you see the solicitude of the inspired author, how he prays for them? The remark is not against them, no, but on their behalf. He did not ask for them to be destroyed, note, but for the evil to be done away with. He did not say "the Lord will destroy them," note, but the "deceitful lips." Again, he asks for the destruction not of their being but of their tongue, their folly, their deceit, and for an end to be put to their arrogance.
We find many who occasionally mix poison with sweet words in one and the same conversation and enter into conflicts by feigned persuasions to peace. What can be more unfortunate or dangerous than the case of those people who with all the ardor of their …
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
"May the Lord destroy." Here he asks for their destruction. And first he asks for it; second, he suggests the cause, at "all deceitful lips," etc. -- as though he would destroy them twice, namely in soul and body. Jer. 17: "Bring upon them the …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Some translate it as a prayer, "May God cut off those false and spiteful lips." Let lying lips be put to silence. That God will, in due time, work deliverance for his oppressed people, and shelter them from the malicious designs of their persecutors (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips,....
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
Total destruction shall overwhelm the lovers of flattery and pride, but meanwhile how they hector and fume! Well did the apostle call them "raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame." Free-thinkers are generally very free-talkers, and they are never more at ease than when railing at God's dominion, and arrogating to themselves unbounded license. Strange is it that the easy yoke of the Lord should so gall the shoulders of the proud, while the iron bands of Satan they bind about themselves as chains of honour: they boastfully cry unto God, "Who is lord over us?"
Total destruction shall overwhelm the lovers of flattery and pride, but meanwhile how they hector and fume! Well did the apostle call them "raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame." Free-thinkers are generally very free-talkers, and they are never more at ease than when railing at God's dominion, and arrogating to themselves unbounded license. Strange is it that the easy yoke of the Lord should so gall the shoulders of the proud, while the iron bands of Satan they bind about themselves as chains of honour: they boastfully cry unto God, "Who is lord over us?" and hear not the hollow voice of the evil one, who cries from the infernal lake, "I am your lord, and right faithfully do ye serve me." Alas, poor fools, their pride and glory shall be cut off like a fading flower! May God grant that our soul may not be gathered with them. It is worthy of observation that flattering lips, and tongues speaking proud things, are classed together: the fitness of this is clear, for they are guilty of the same vice, the first flatters another, and the second flatters himself, in both cases a lie is in their right hands. One generally imagines that flatterers are such mean parasites, so cringing and fawning, that they cannot be proud; but the wise man will tell you that while all pride is truly meanness, there is in the very lowest meanness no small degree of pride. Caesar's horse is even more proud of carrying Caesar, than Caesar is of riding him. The mat on which the emperor wiped his shoes, boasts vaingloriously, crying out, "I cleaned the imperial boots." None are so detestably domineering as the little creatures who creep into office by cringing to the great; those are bad times, indeed, in which these obnoxious beings are numerous and powerful.
Proud things - גדלות gedoloth, great things; great swelling words, both in their promises and in their commendations.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
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 the statement of a solemn truth, designed for warning, that all such persons would be punished. All flattering lips - The meaning is, that he will cut off all “persons” who use flattery; that is, he will cut them off from the favors which he will show to his own people, or will punish them. The word used here is the common one to denote disowning or excommunicating, and derives its meaning from the act of separating offenders from a community. See Gen 17:14; Lev 17:10; Lev 18:29; Lev 20:3, Lev 20:6; et soepe. And the tongue that speaketh proud things - That boasts, or is self-confident. For an example of this, see Isa 28:15; and compare the notes at that passage. It was this disposition to falsehood, flattery, and boasting, which constituted the fact stated in Psa 12:1, that “godly” and “faithful” men - men on whom reliance might be placed, whose word might be trusted, and whose promised aid in the cause of truth might be depended on - had seemed to “fail” among men. That is, no such men could be found.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
with a double heart Lit. with a heart and a heart; with two hearts. They feign friendliness, but there is hatred hidden in their heart.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יַכְרֵ֣ת | yakhret | may he cut off | H3772 → | 288 times |
| יְ֭הוָה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| שִׂפְתֵ֣י | siftei | [the] lips of | H8193 → | 176 times |
| חֲלָק֑וֹת | chalakot | flatteri<es> | H2513 → | 29 times |
| לָ֝שׁ֗וֹן | lashon | a tongue | H3956 → | 117 times |
| מְדַבֶּ֥רֶת | medaberet | [which] speaks | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| גְּדֹלֽוֹת׃ | gedolot | great [things] | H1419 → | 526 times |
יַכְרֵ֣תmay he cut off
yakhretH3772 →288 times
יְ֭הוָהYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
שִׂפְתֵ֣י[the] lips of
sifteiH8193 →176 times
חֲלָק֑וֹתflatteri<es>
chalakotH2513 →29 times
לָ֝שׁ֗וֹןa tongue
lashonH3956 →117 times
מְדַבֶּ֥רֶת[which] speaks
medaberetH1696 →1141 times
גְּדֹלֽוֹת׃great [things]
gedolotH1419 →526 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 18:21Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
it leads to
- Ephesians 4:29
Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.
- Matthew 12:35–37
The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure.
- Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
- Proverbs 10:19–21
When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.
- James 3:6–9
The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on…
- Ephesians 4:29
Through
Jude 1:16These men are discontented grumblers, following after their own lusts; their mouths spew arrogance; they flatter others for their own advantage.
it leads to
- 2 Peter 2:18
With lofty but empty words, they appeal to the sensual passions of the flesh and entice those who are just escaping from others who live in error.
- Philippians 2:14
Do everything without complaining or arguing,
- 2 Peter 2:18
Through
Revelation 13:5The beast was given a mouth to speak arrogant and blasphemous words, and authority to act for 42 months.
it leads to
- Daniel 7:25
He will speak out against the Most High and oppress the saints of the Most High, intending to change the appointed times and laws; and the saints will be given into his hand for…
- Daniel 7:25
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Psalms
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Psalms; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 12; Cassiodorus, EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 12:4; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 1; Clement of Rome, Clement's First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 15; John Chrysostom, COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 12:1-2; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, SELECTIONS FROM THE PSALMS 12:4; Thomas Aquinas, Exposition on the Psalms of David and Valerian of Cimiez, HOMILIES 5:5.