New King James Version
Psalms 12:3
3May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, And the tongue that speaks proud things,
Psalms 12:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:
- New International Version (NIV)May the Lord silence all flattering lips and every boastful tongue—
- English Standard Version (ESV)May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts,
- New Living Translation (NLT)May the Lord cut off their flattering lips and silence their boastful tongues.
Context of Psalms 12:3
1Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. 2They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; With flattering lips and a double heart they speak. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, And the tongue that speaks proud things, 4Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; Who is lord over us?” 5“For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, Now I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.”
Read all of Psalms 12Psalms 12:3 word by word
יַכְרֵ֣ת יְ֭הוָה כָּל־שִׂפְתֵ֣י חֲלָק֑וֹת לָ֝שׁ֗וֹן מְדַבֶּ֥רֶת גְּדֹלֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- The Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- shall cut offכָּרַתkârath · to cut: eliminateH3772
- all flatteringחֶלְקָהchelqâh · portionH2513
- lipsשָׂפָהώâphâh ώepheth · lipsH8193
- the tongueלָשׁוֹןlâshôn lâshôn leshônâh · tongueH3956
- that speakethדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- proudגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
Cross-references for Psalms 12:3
- Job 32:22For I do not know how to flatter, Else my Maker would soon take me away.
- Psalms 17:10They have closed up their fat hearts; With their mouths they speak proudly.
- Psalms 73:8They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression; They speak loftily.
- Exodus 15:9The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, My hand shall destroy them.’
- 1 Samuel 2:3“Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the Lord is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed.
- 1 Samuel 17:43So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
- 2 Kings 19:23By your messengers you have reproached the Lord, And said: “By the multitude of my chariots I have come up to the height of the mountains, To the limits of Lebanon; I will cut down its tall cedars And its choice cypress trees; I will enter the extremity of its borders, To its fruitful forest.
- Isaiah 10:10As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, Whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
- Ezekiel 28:2“Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Because your heart is lifted up, And you say, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods, In the midst of the seas,’ Yet you are a man, and not a god, Though you set your heart as the heart of a god
- Ezekiel 29:3Speak, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against you, O Pharaoh king of Egypt, O great monster who lies in the midst of his rivers, Who has said, ‘My River is my own; I have made it for myself.’
- Daniel 4:30The king spoke, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?”
- Daniel 7:8I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.
- Malachi 3:13“Your words have been harsh against Me,” Says the Lord, “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’
- 2 Peter 2:18For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error.
- Jude 1:16These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.
- Revelation 13:5And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.
Commentaries on Psalms 12:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Proud things - גדלות gedoloth, great things; great swelling words, both in their promises and in their commendations.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3The 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…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. 3-43-4. Boasting (Da 7:25) is, like flattery, a species of lying. lips, and ... tongue--for persons.Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 12:3
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries