God’s Word Translation
Psalms 12:2
2All people speak foolishly. They speak with flattering lips. They say one thing but mean another.
Psalms 12:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
- New International Version (NIV)Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
- New King James Version (NKJV)They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
Context of Psalms 12:2
1Help, O Lord. No godly person is left. Faithful people have vanished from among Adam’s descendants! All people speak foolishly. They speak with flattering lips. They say one thing but mean another. 3May the Lord cut off every flattering lip and every bragging tongue 4that has said, “We will overcome with our tongues. With lips such as ours, who can be our master?”
Read all of Psalms 12Psalms 12:2 word by word
שָׁ֤וְא׀ יְֽדַבְּרוּ֮ אִ֤ישׁ אֶת־רֵ֫עֵ֥הוּ שְׂפַ֥ת חֲלָק֑וֹת בְּלֵ֖ב וָלֵ֣ב יְדַבֵּֽרוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 12:2
- Psalms 10:7His mouth is full of cursing, deception, and oppression. Trouble and wrongdoing are on the tip of his tongue.
- Psalms 36:3The words from his mouth are ⌞nothing but⌟ trouble and deception. He has stopped doing what is wise and good.
- Psalms 38:12Those who seek my life lay traps for me. Those who are out to harm me talk about ruining me. All day long they think of ways to deceive me.
- Psalms 41:6When one of them comes to visit me, he speaks foolishly. His heart collects gossip. ⌞Then⌟ he leaves to tell others.
- Psalms 52:1Why do you brag about the evil you’ve done, you hero? The mercy of God lasts all day long!
- Psalms 59:12⌞because of⌟ the sins from their mouths and the words on their lips. Let them be trapped by their own arrogance because they speak curses and lies.
- Psalms 144:8Their mouths speak lies. Their right hands take false pledges.
- Jeremiah 9:2I wish I had a place to stay in the desert. I would abandon my people and go away from them. They are all adulterers, a mob of traitors.
- Psalms 5:9Nothing in their mouths is truthful. Destruction comes from their hearts. Their throats are open graves. They flatter with their tongues.
- Psalms 28:3Do not drag me away with wicked people, with troublemakers who speak of peace with their neighbors but have evil in their hearts.
- Psalms 62:4They plan to force him out of his high position. They are happy to lie. They bless with their mouths, but in their hearts they curse. Selah
- Proverbs 20:19Whoever goes around as a gossip tells secrets. Do not associate with a person whose mouth is always open.
- Proverbs 29:5A person who flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for him to step into.
- Ezekiel 12:24There will no longer be any false visions or flattering fortunetelling to the people.
- Romans 16:18People like these are not serving Christ our Lord. They are serving their own desires. By their smooth talk and flattering words they deceive unsuspecting people.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:5As you know, we never used flattery or schemes to make money. God is our witness!
Commentaries on Psalms 12:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2They speak vanity every one with his neighbor - They are false and hollow; they say one thing while they mean another; there is no trusting to what they say. Flattering lips, and with a double heart do they speak - ולב בלב beleb valeb, "With a heart and a heart." They seem to have two hearts; one to speak fair words, and the other to invent mischief. The old MS. both translates and paraphrases curiously. Trans. Dayn spak ilkan til his neghbur: swykil…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2They speak vanity - This is a statement of the “manner” in which the “godly” and the “faithful” fail, as stated in Psalm 12:1. One of the ways was that there was a disregard of truth; that no confidence could be placed on the statements of those who professed to be pious; that they dealt falsely with their neighbors. The word “vanity” here is equivalent to “falsehood.” What they spoke was a vain and empty thing, instead of being the truth. It had no…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-4Evil becomes so widespread that the godly pray for rescue (Isaiah 57:1; Micah 7:2; compare Psalms 1:6; 37:20; 58:7; 104:35).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. The want of it is illustrated by the prevalence of deceit and instability.Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 12:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- The Treasury of David
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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