Charles Ellicott Commentary Psalms 12

Ceases. —Intransitive, as in Psalms 7:9.

The faithful. —The Vulgate and Syriac treat this word as abstract: “truth,” “faithfulness.” So Ewald; but the parallelism here, as in Psalms 31:23, requires it in the concrete. (Compare to 2 Samuel 20:19.) The Hebrew is cognate with “amen,” and Luther has “amen’s leute,” people as good as their word.

Vanity. —So in Psalms 41:6 and Job 35:13. Literally, evil. “Falsehood” would be better. This verse may have been in St Paul’s mind (Ephesians 4:25).

Flattering lips. —Literally, lips of smoothness, (Compare the note on Psalms 5:9.)

With a double heart. —Literally, with a heart and a heart. (Compare 1 Chronicles 12:33.) “One for the Church, another for the Change; one for Sundays, another for working days; one for the king, another for the Pope. A man without a heart is a wonder, but a man with two hearts is a monster.” — Thomas Adams, A.D. 1614.

The Lord shall. —Translate, May Jehovah cut off.

Proud things. —Literally, great things. Vulgate, linguam magniloquam.

With our tongue. —This is the proud saying just mentioned, and is plainly a boast of the power possessed by those who have the ear of persons in authority, and can adroitly “make the worse appear the better cause”; or being themselves in high places, can, like Angelo in Measure for Measure, defy the accusations of their victims:—

“Who will believe you, Isabel?
My place in the State
Will so your accusation overweigh
That you shall stifle in your own report,
And smell of calumny.”

But there is great difference of opinion as to the proper rendering, “with our tongues will we prevail.” Some render, “we are masters of our tongues”; others, “with our tongues we confederate”: i.e., “our tongues are our allies.” The last rendering agrees best with the next clause.

Our lips are our own. —Literally, are with us: i.e., on our side. (Compare to 2 Kings 9:32).

For the oppression — that is, on account of the oppression. Here, as in so many psalms and prophecies, we have an ancient oracle of God introduced. The poet first quotes it, and then in Psalms 12:6 contrasts its truth and genuineness with the false speeches of hypocrites.

I will set. — Literally, I will set in safety; he blows at it: which may mean either, “I will ensure him of the safety for which he longs,” or “I will set him in safety who longs for it.” This sense is fixed by Habakkuk 2:3: “it panteth to its end,” that is, for its accomplishment.