This verse warns against trusting flattery and highlights the need to rely on God’s justice.
David’s desperate cry in Psalm 12 captures the tension between the righteous suffering under the oppression of deceitful people and the hope that God will intervene. Here, in Psalm 12:3, he proclaims, “May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, The tongue that speaks great things;” (v.3). By imploring the LORD to “cut off” such speech, David highlights how destructive flattery and boastful talk can be, not merely as casual sins but as instruments that foster injustice and oppression. This plea for God’s intervention underscores the biblical understanding that our words carry great weight and power (James 3:5).
As David prays, “May the LORD cut off all flattering lips” (v.3), he confronts those who manipulate others with sweet but insincere language. Flattering lips are often tied to deceitful motives—people attempting to gain favor without genuine truthfulness. In David’s time (around 1000 BC), flattery could sow discord in kingdoms, create divisions within families, and even undermine God’s covenant community. Lower-level officials or acquaintances might have used these tactics to gain influence or dismantle David’s leadership. By asking the LORD to silence them, David is entrusting divine justice to address humanity’s deception.
David also references “The tongue that speaks great things” (v.3) to describe boastful, arrogant language—speech that exalts the self and undercuts others. Taken in the broader biblical narrative, prideful words are repeatedly condemned because they deny reliance on God and elevate the speaker’s ego above the divine will. The psalmist pleads that God would restrain the power of such words, reminding us that the Lord alone rules over the destiny of nations and individuals alike. This verse encourages believers to cultivate sincerity and humility, knowing the LORD evaluates every word and intention.
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Psalms 12:3 meaning
David’s desperate cry in Psalm 12 captures the tension between the righteous suffering under the oppression of deceitful people and the hope that God will intervene. Here, in Psalm 12:3, he proclaims, “May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, The tongue that speaks great things;” (v.3). By imploring the LORD to “cut off” such speech, David highlights how destructive flattery and boastful talk can be, not merely as casual sins but as instruments that foster injustice and oppression. This plea for God’s intervention underscores the biblical understanding that our words carry great weight and power (James 3:5).
As David prays, “May the LORD cut off all flattering lips” (v.3), he confronts those who manipulate others with sweet but insincere language. Flattering lips are often tied to deceitful motives—people attempting to gain favor without genuine truthfulness. In David’s time (around 1000 BC), flattery could sow discord in kingdoms, create divisions within families, and even undermine God’s covenant community. Lower-level officials or acquaintances might have used these tactics to gain influence or dismantle David’s leadership. By asking the LORD to silence them, David is entrusting divine justice to address humanity’s deception.
David also references “The tongue that speaks great things” (v.3) to describe boastful, arrogant language—speech that exalts the self and undercuts others. Taken in the broader biblical narrative, prideful words are repeatedly condemned because they deny reliance on God and elevate the speaker’s ego above the divine will. The psalmist pleads that God would restrain the power of such words, reminding us that the Lord alone rules over the destiny of nations and individuals alike. This verse encourages believers to cultivate sincerity and humility, knowing the LORD evaluates every word and intention.