New Living Translation
Psalms 12:2
2Neighbors lie to each other, speaking with flattering lips and deceitful hearts.
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, for the godly are fast disappearing! The faithful have vanished from the earth! Neighbors lie to each other, speaking with flattering lips and deceitful hearts. 3May the Lord cut off their flattering lips and silence their boastful tongues. 4They say, “We will lie to our hearts’ content. Our lips are our own—who can stop us?”
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 10:7Their mouths are full of cursing, lies, and threats. Trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues.
- Psalms 36:3Everything they say is crooked and deceitful. They refuse to act wisely or do good.
- Psalms 38:12Meanwhile, my enemies lay traps to kill me. Those who wish me harm make plans to ruin me. All day long they plan their treachery.
- Psalms 41:6They visit me as if they were my friends, but all the while they gather gossip, and when they leave, they spread it everywhere.
- Psalms 52:1Why do you boast about your crimes, great warrior? Don’t you realize God’s justice continues forever?
- Psalms 59:12Because of the sinful things they say, because of the evil that is on their lips, let them be captured by their pride, their curses, and their lies.
- Psalms 144:8Their mouths are full of lies; they swear to tell the truth, but they lie instead.
- Jeremiah 9:2Oh, that I could go away and forget my people and live in a travelers’ shack in the desert. For they are all adulterers— a pack of treacherous liars.
- Psalms 5:9My enemies cannot speak a truthful word. Their deepest desire is to destroy others. Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with flattery.
- Psalms 28:3Do not drag me away with the wicked— with those who do evil— those who speak friendly words to their neighbors while planning evil in their hearts.
- Psalms 62:4They plan to topple me from my high position. They delight in telling lies about me. They praise me to my face but curse me in their hearts. Interlude
- Proverbs 20:19A gossip goes around telling secrets, so don’t hang around with chatterers.
- Proverbs 29:5To flatter friends is to lay a trap for their feet.
- Ezekiel 12:24“There will be no more false visions and flattering predictions in Israel.
- Romans 16:18Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:5Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as you well know. And God is our witness that we were not pretending to be your friends just to get your money!
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
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