Those who boast in their words reveal the corruption of relying on self rather than the righteousness of the Almighty.
As the psalmist laments the deceptive and prideful words spoken by those who rebel against God, he describes their attitude by weaving in the statement, “Who have said, ‘With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?’” (v.4). Their boastful claim suggests a spirit of defiance, as though they believe they can control outcomes and escape the consequences of their speech. They reject any sense of accountability to God, believing that their words need submit to no higher authority. Like other psalms that expose the arrogance of the ungodly, Psalm 12 displays a tension between those who trust the Lord and those who trust in their own schemes.
When the verse declares, “Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?” it vividly reveals the root problem—an unwillingness to recognize the sovereignty of God over every aspect of life. The proud declare their independence from the Lord, presuming they can say whatever they wish without penalty. By contrast, King David, who is traditionally credited with writing this psalm, lived around 1000 BC as Israel’s second monarch and continually pointed to God’s authority over His people. In the New Testament, Jesus also teaches that the words we speak and the motives in our hearts ultimately come under God’s judgment and care (Matthew 12:36-37). The psalmist’s response, later in Psalm 12, is to affirm that the Lord hears the cry of the afflicted and will uphold justice in the face of falsehood.
This verse exposes the folly of believing our speech is exempt from God’s domain. Those who claim their lips “are their own” fail to accept the reality that everyone lives under the authority of the Creator, and that every word spoken will be weighed by Him (James 3:5-6).
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Psalms 12:4 meaning
As the psalmist laments the deceptive and prideful words spoken by those who rebel against God, he describes their attitude by weaving in the statement, “Who have said, ‘With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?’” (v.4). Their boastful claim suggests a spirit of defiance, as though they believe they can control outcomes and escape the consequences of their speech. They reject any sense of accountability to God, believing that their words need submit to no higher authority. Like other psalms that expose the arrogance of the ungodly, Psalm 12 displays a tension between those who trust the Lord and those who trust in their own schemes.
When the verse declares, “Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?” it vividly reveals the root problem—an unwillingness to recognize the sovereignty of God over every aspect of life. The proud declare their independence from the Lord, presuming they can say whatever they wish without penalty. By contrast, King David, who is traditionally credited with writing this psalm, lived around 1000 BC as Israel’s second monarch and continually pointed to God’s authority over His people. In the New Testament, Jesus also teaches that the words we speak and the motives in our hearts ultimately come under God’s judgment and care (Matthew 12:36-37). The psalmist’s response, later in Psalm 12, is to affirm that the Lord hears the cry of the afflicted and will uphold justice in the face of falsehood.
This verse exposes the folly of believing our speech is exempt from God’s domain. Those who claim their lips “are their own” fail to accept the reality that everyone lives under the authority of the Creator, and that every word spoken will be weighed by Him (James 3:5-6).