Psalms 12

Let us cleave, therefore, to those who cultivate peace with godliness, and not to those who hypocritically profess to desire it. For [the Scripture] says in a certain place, "This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." [Isaiah 29:13] And again: "They bless with their mouth, but curse with their heart." [Psalm 62:4] And again it says, "They loved Him with their mouth, and lied to Him with their tongue; but their heart was not right with Him, neither were they faithful in His covenant." [Psalm 78:36-37] Let the deceitful lips become silent, [and "let the Lord destroy all the lying lips, ] and the boastful tongue of those who have said, Let us magnify our tongue: our lips are our own; who is lord over us? For the oppression of the poor, and for the sighing of the needy, will I now arise, says the Lord: I will place him in safety; I will deal confidently with him." [Psalm 12:3-5]

When the Lord wipes out those things that are base, he will destroy those very things, so that when those things that have come on a person unexpectedly have been destroyed, the foremost creation of God whom the baser things had overtaken may take up the higher things.

Although they may be beautiful, the words of those who stand apart from Christ are not pure but interspersed with innumerable lies; the words of the Lord alone are pure, in which there is no lie mixed, and they are true as silver purged and proven in the furnace. When anything is declared with them, it is never to be rejected in doubt.

There is no righteous one left anywhere, he said, who can become the author of my deliverance. Truly I lack a Savior, and since there is none, you yourself, Lord, be my Savior.

In the same manner silver is purified by fire after it is drawn through the flame two or three times, nor is that enough, but again and again being purged thoroughly by the furnace, never will it have any false or foreign material, so also the words of the Lord genuinely spoken are full of truth, as pure and undefiled, including no falsehood.

When Israel had left Egypt, God forbade the people to even touch the mountain where he was giving the Law, because they were far from being “on fire” for the Lord. He did, however, call the blessed Moses to that mountain. Moses was totally committed to him and clung to his grace, so God said, “Let Moses alone draw near.” So Moses climbed up the mountain into the cloud, and although that mountain smoked with the heat and presence of the Lord, Moses was unharmed. Rather, through “the words of the Lord, which are pure silver refined in a furnace,” he came down more pure than when he went up.

Even if the godless and demons and agitators surround us, even if they besiege us and cut us off, you will render us superior with your help.

When you care for us, even if we are abandoned among those guilty of hostility and scheming, we emerge superior on account of the care of the Most High.

Since he said that the Lord’s sayings are pure and unmixed with falsehood, he goes on to say that as silver brought into contact with fire is found to be purified of every defilement, so also such commands of God emerge sincere and unaffected by falsehood. The phrase “seven times” means repeatedly, his meaning being that it is exceedingly pure and untainted with falsehood.

First the righteous fail, then the truth is diminished. Not only is there no truth among the righteous, there is no holiness among honest people. Now, since the righteous have failed, truth is diminished. Perhaps the poverty of righteous people is the reason why so many heresies have shot up.

Do you see the solicitude of the inspired author, how he prays for them? The remark is not against them, no, but on their behalf. He did not ask for them to be destroyed, note, but for the evil to be done away with. He did not say “the Lord will destroy them,” note, but the “deceitful lips.” Again, he asks for the destruction not of their being but of their tongue, their folly, their deceit, and for an end to be put to their arrogance.

“Our lips are our own; who is our master?” These are words of insane and deranged people. For this very reason Paul says the opposite to them in the words, “You are not your own; you were bought at a price,” and bids them not to live for themselves. Your lips are not yours, he is saying, but the Lord’s. He it was, in fact, who made them, who fitted you together, who breathed life into you. But you—what do you have? Not all that we have, by contrast, is ours; for even the possessions we have others have entrusted to us, and the land we lease others have given to us. Exactly so has God let these things out on lease to you, not for you to bear thorns but to convert the seed into something useful; not for you to make folly flourish by them, not for deceit but for humility, benediction and love. He gave you eyes, not to indulge in unrestrained gazing but to embellish them with temperance; and hands, not for striking but for giving alms.

"You, O Lord, shall preserve us, and keep us from this generation to eternity" [Psalm 12:7]: here as needy and poor, there as wealthy and rich.

"May the Lord destroy all deceitful lips" [Psalm 12:3]. He says "all," that no one may suppose himself excepted: as the Apostle says, "Upon every soul of man that does evil, of the Jew first, and of the Greek." [Romans 2:9] "The tongue speaking great things:" the proud tongue.

"The ungodly walk in a circle round about" [Psalm 12:8]: that is, in the desire of things temporal, which revolves as a wheel in a repeated circle of seven days; and therefore they do not arrive at the eighth, that is, at eternity, for which this Psalm is entitled. So too it is said by Solomon, "For the wise king is the winnower of the ungodly, and he brings on them the wheel of the wicked.— After Your height You have multiplied the sons of men." For there is in temporal things too a multiplication, which turns away from the unity of God. Hence "the corruptible body weighs down the soul, and the earthy tabernacle presses down the mind that muses upon many things." [Wisdom 9:15] But the righteous are multiplied "after the height of God," when "they shall go from strength to strength."

"Save me, O Lord, for the holy has failed;" that is, is not found: as we speak when we say, Corn fails, or, Money fails. "For the truths have been minished from among the sons of men" [Psalm 12:1]. The truth is one, whereby holy souls are enlightened: but forasmuch as there are many souls, there may be said in them to be many truths: as in mirrors there are seen many reflections from one face.

"The words of the Lord" are "pure words" [Psalm 12:6]. This is in the person of the Prophet himself, "The words of the Lord" are "pure words." He says "pure," without the alloy of pretence. For many preach the truth impurely; [Philippians 1:16] for they sell it for the bribe of the advantages of this life. Of such the Apostle says, that they declared Christ not purely. "Silver tried by the fire for the earth." These words of the Lord by means of tribulations approved to sinners. "Purified seven times:" by the fear of God, by godliness, by knowledge, by might, by counsel, by understanding, by wisdom. [Isaiah 11:2] For seven steps also of beatitude there are, which the Lord goes over, according to Matthew, in the same sermon which He spoke on the Mount, "Blessed" are "the poor in spirit, blessed the meek, blessed they that mourn, blessed they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, blessed the merciful, blessed the pure in heart, blessed the peacemakers." [Matthew 5:3-9] Of which seven sentences, it may be observed how all that long sermon was spoken. For the eighth where it is said, "Blessed" are "they which suffer persecution for righteousness' sake," [Matthew 5:10] denotes the fire itself, whereby the silver is proved seven times. And at the termination of this sermon it is said, "For He taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes." [Matthew 7:29] Which refers to that which is said in this Psalm, "I deal confidently in Him."

"Because of the wretchedness of the needy and the sighing of the poor, now I will arise, says the Lord" [Psalm 12:5]. For so the Lord Himself in the Gospel pitied His people, because they had no ruler, when they could well obey. Whence too it is said in the Gospel, "The harvest is plenteous, but the labourers are few." [Matthew 9:37] But this must be taken as spoken in the person of God the Father, who, because of the needy and the poor, that is, who in need and poverty were lacking spiritual good things, vouchsafed to send His own Son. From thence begins His sermon on the mount to Matthew, where He says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." [Matthew 5:3] "I will place in salvation." He does not say what He would place: but, "in salvation," must be understood as, in Christ; according to that, "For my eyes have seen Your salvation." [Luke 2:30] And hence He is understood to have placed in Him what appertains to the taking away the wretchedness of the needy, and the comforting the sighing of the poor. "I will deal confidently in Him:" according to that in the Gospel, "For He taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes." [Matthew 7:29]

"Who have said, We will magnify our tongue, our lips are our own, who is Lord over us?" [Psalm 12:4]. Proud hypocrites are meant, putting confidence in their speech to deceive men, and not submitting themselves to God.

"He has talked vanity each man to his neighbour" [Psalm 12:2]. By neighbour we must understand every man: for that there is no one with whom we should work evil; "and the love of our neighbour works no evil." [Romans 13:10] "Deceitful lips, with a heart and a heart they have spoken evil things." The repetition, "with a heart and a heart," signifies a double heart.

There is a double heart there, not a simple one; it is not what it has within itself that it utters outwardly. The double heart, once upon a time, received this damning judgment: “Deceitful lips in heart and heart have spoken evil.” It should have been enough to say, “In the heart they have spoken evil.” How are lips deceitful? What is deceit? When one thing is done openly, another covered up. Deceitful lips mean a not simple heart; and because it is not a simple heart, that is why “in heart and heart”; that is why “in heart” twice over; because it is a double heart.

Guarded by your grace we shall not only escape the wiles of the present generation but shall also be provided with everlasting salvation.

With mouths agape they heedlessly utter whatever occurs to them, scornful of divine long-suffering and giving no thought to their falling under the lordship of God.

Regard for truth is in danger of being snuffed out, with everyone, you might say, suffering from distrust in one another.… They pretend friendship and perform the actions of enemies.… Some use their lips to direct falsehood into their neighbor’s heart; others return the compliment.

We find many who occasionally mix poison with sweet words in one and the same conversation and enter into conflicts by feigned persuasions to peace. What can be more unfortunate or dangerous than the case of those people who with all the ardor of their deceitful tongues plot against someone’s life? Why do they fail to consider the prophet’s psalm, which states, “May the Lord destroy sinful lips.” Do you perceive under what a curse one lives who is contriving one plan in his heart and placing another on his tongue

We shall take care to have nothing base spring from our hearts, nothing blasphemous fly from our lips, nothing harmful harbored in our thought. The prophet condemns not only what offends the ears but also the attitude that some people cherish in their minds. “With deceitful lips and with a double heart they have spoken evil things.” Deliberations, too, then should be listed among the faults of an insolent tongue. Whatever you speak in your heart you are confessing to the Lord, because God is the Searcher of hearts. Since you cannot hide even your thought from him, can that which you shout aloud remain hidden from him or excused? Reflect on this.

Here he consoles us in tribulations while [in heaven] he establishes us in the security of eternity. Here he helps us, but there he glorifies and crowns us. In this way, a most devoted Creator preserves us here in order that we may not perish and that he may bless us there so that we can no longer be miserable in any way.

Consider the piety of the speaker, for he does not direct his prayer against people, since many of them needed to be converted, but against the vices themselves.

“The wicked walk in a circle” so that they are never able to arrive at the right path, since crooked paths are always associated with bad character.… For this reason, they are not able to attain the rest of the eighth day, for they are always turning backward like wheels.

Since he was observing that this world burdens souls, he asks the Lord to be saved. He knew that genuine medicine can only be found with God.

“I will arise” is a metaphor to indicate that the one who is not familiar with the human need to lie down out of weakness does in fact rise up. But he says I will arise, I will appear and be manifest in the Son. For the strength and majesty of the Father and of the Son are one and undivided. For the Father appears and is manifest in the Son, as Christ himself says in the Gospel: “He who sees me sees the Father also.”

And the prophet responds: "You therefore, O Lord, will keep us from evil." "And you will guard us in good, from this generation forever."

"Therefore the wicked walk round about," so that they never reach the end of the journey they intend, namely to afflict others as they wish. Is. 59: "Their paths are crooked." And why? "Because according to your height you have multiplied the children of men"; because in my house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but wooden and earthen ones; and some indeed are sanctified unto honor, prepared for every good work. 2 Tim. 2. Or "round about," in the circuit of vices, "the wicked walk," not reaching the mean of virtue. 1 Sam. 25: "The soul of your enemies shall be whirled," etc.

"May the Lord destroy." Here he asks for their destruction. And first he asks for it; second, he suggests the cause, at "all deceitful lips," etc. -- as though he would destroy them twice, namely in soul and body. Jer. 17: "Bring upon them the day of affliction, and with a double destruction destroy them, O Lord God." Then he sets forth the cause of their malice, and he mentions three things: namely, fraudulence, because of "deceitful lips" -- for deceit is when one does one thing and pretends another. Deceit is conceived in the heart but concealed by words or deeds. Prov. 12: "Deceit is in the heart of those who plot evil." God scatters these, because He uncovers them; for then it no longer has the character of deceit, since deceit is hidden malice. Hence he does not ask for their destruction, but for the detection of their malice. Or he asks for their perdition through grace. Prov. 19: "When the pestilent man is scourged, the fool shall become wiser." Hence he says, "deceitful lips." The Gloss says this is, as it were, the reason for the petition: deceitfulness. Or God will destroy them, as if punishing them for their malice, so that they themselves fall into it by God's just judgment, as is said of Haman in Est. 7, against Mordecai: "Haman was hanged on the gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai." Ezek. 3: "I will make your tongue cleave to the roof of your mouth, and you shall be mute," as though not daring to commit frauds any longer. Prov. 21: "When the pestilent man is punished, the little one becomes wiser." Likewise Prov. 22: "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, and the rod of discipline shall drive it away." Second, he sets forth their boasting and their grandiloquent tongue, about themselves among those who consider them great. Ps. 72: "They set their mouth against heaven, and their tongue passed through the earth." Now what is greater in another we are accustomed to revere, and what is lesser we disregard. In order therefore to appear great and equal to God, they despise God, that is, divine honors. Thus it is said of the Antichrist that he speaks against the God of gods. 2 Thess. 2: "He opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sits in the temple of God, showing himself as if he were God." And of Antiochus, 2 Macc. 9: "It is just to be subject to God, and a mortal should not think things equal to God." And Acts 12, of Herod, that the people acclaimed him with the voices of a god and not of a man. And lest they could be excused that they did not do it deliberately, he adds: "who have said," namely on purpose, "we will magnify our tongue." Third, he sets forth their blasphemy or pride: "our lips are our own." For this is the first species of pride, when someone considers that he has something from himself. 1 Sam. 2: "Do not multiply speaking lofty things, boasting." 2 Cor. 3: "We are not sufficient to think anything of ourselves, as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God." The second species of pride is when someone wishes to glory in something above others; hence he says, "who is our lord?" Job 21: "Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him?" Hos. 7: "They have returned so as to be without a yoke, and they have become like a deceitful bow." Job 11: "A vain man is lifted up in pride, and thinks himself born free like a wild donkey's colt."

In the preceding decade the Psalmist treated of the persecution that he himself suffered from his son Absalom, through which was prefigured the persecution that Christ would suffer from Judas. In this second decade, however, as appears from the titles of certain Psalms, he treats of the persecution he suffered from Saul, through which was prefigured the persecution that Christ would suffer from the chief priests. This decade is divided into two parts. In the first he asks to be delivered from enemies. In the second, already delivered, he prays for his own exaltation, in the Psalm "May the Lord hear you," which indeed fits historically with David, because upon the death of Saul, David was advanced to king; and as to the mystery, it fits Christ, whose kingdom was established in His death. Phil. 2: "Therefore, because He became obedient to the Father even unto death, God exalted Him." In the first part he does two things. First he asks for deliverance. Second, he gives thanks for deliverance, and this in Psalm 17: "I will love you." Concerning the first he does three things. First he magnifies the malice of the persecutors. Second, he commemorates his own justice, at "Lord, who shall dwell." Third, on account of his justice he asks for the efficacy of being heard, at "hear, O Lord," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he reproves the deceitfulness of his adversaries. Second, he argues their iniquity, at "the fool has said." Concerning the first he does two things. First he commemorates their deceitfulness. Second, he asks for divine light, lest he be ensnared by them, at "how long, O Lord." This also fits well historically with David, against whom Saul proceeded deceitfully. He prefixes to this Psalm the title: "unto the end, for the octave, a Psalm of David," which has been explained above. Concerning the first he does three things. First he describes the commemoration of their deceitfulness; second, he asks for their destruction, at "may the Lord destroy"; third, he sets forth the reason for being heard, at "because of the misery," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he describes their deficiency; second, he adds a sign of the deficiency, at "they have spoken vain things." Concerning the first, it should be known that David, considering the malice of his adversary growing stronger against him, as though stupefied, first has recourse to divine help, saying, "O Lord, save me." And rightly so, because apart from Him there is no savior, as is said in Is. 45. Second, he enumerates their deficiencies. Now two things preserve a man from evil: namely, the fear of God -- Sir. 2: "He who fears God will keep His commandments" -- and the love of truth; because right works are called true, as if in conformity with a rule, and if they are not right, they pertain to disgrace. For some, even if they do not avoid evils through fear of God, are nevertheless restrained from them through fear of disgrace. But some fear neither disgrace; hence it is said in Lk. 18 of a certain man "who feared neither God nor respected any man." And the Psalmist excludes both of these from his adversaries. First, the fear of God, when he says, "because the holy one has failed"; for holiness consists in the fear and worship of God. Hence things dedicated to divine worship are called holy. As if to say: there is not found in this world a man who fears God. Mic. 7: "The holy one has perished from the earth, and there is no upright one among men." Second, he excludes the love of truth, when he says, "because truths are diminished." But the question must be asked: why does he say "truths" in the plural? Hos. 4: "There is no truth of God in the land." To which it must be said that there is one primordial truth, which is in the divine intellect. Jn. 14: "I am the way, the truth, and the life." But just as from one face of a man diverse likenesses are reflected in different mirrors, and similarly in one broken mirror, so in different souls diverse truths are reflected from the one divine truth. And similarly in one soul, because it does not attain to the simplicity of the divine but is composed of that by which it exists and what it is, there appear from that one truth by which the holy soul is illuminated diverse truths. These truths, when the soul departs from God through sins, are diminished. Or it must be said that he says "truths" on account of the threefold created truth that is in the saints: namely, truth of life, of which Is. 38 says: "Remember how I walked before you in truth." Truth of doctrine: Mt. 22: "We know that you are truthful and teach the way of God in truth." And truth of justice, of which Ex. 18 says: "Provide from among all the people capable men who fear God, in whom there is truth." This Psalm seems to speak of this truth, namely, the truth of justice, from which Saul had departed when he unjustly persecuted David. It must be said, therefore, that such truths have been diminished not from themselves, but "from among the children of men," through whose sins they are corrupted. And indeed the truth of life is diminished when good is judged to be evil. The truth of doctrine, when light is called darkness. The truth of justice, when bitter is judged sweet, and conversely. Is. 5: "Woe to you who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter." He says that holiness fails, because since it comes from God through grace, it is immediately taken away by a single mortal sin. But truth is diminished, as it were, gradually. Jerome has: "because the merciful one has failed, and because the faithful are diminished," because mercy and justice are required toward neighbor. Prov. 20: "But a faithful man, who shall find?"

Then he sets forth the certainty of the promise: "the words of the Lord are pure words" -- not adulterated by admixture of anything foreign; or purified of superfluity; or incorrupt, because one is called chaste before experience, but continent after. Not vain, but firm. Mt. 24: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." Second, they are full of truth; hence, "silver tested by fire." Silver is white without stain, resonant without pretense, fragrant without corruption. "Tested by the earth," that is, from the earth; for the Greeks lack an ablative case. This is a translation from the Greek: "purified sevenfold," that is, perfectly.

"Because of." Here, third, he sets forth the hearing of the prayer. And first he sets it forth; second, he establishes its certainty, at "the words of the Lord"; third, he sets forth his own belief, at "you, O Lord." He says therefore, "because of the misery," that is, the manifold need, "of the needy," that is, of those lacking resources, "and the groaning," that is, the sighs, "of the poor," that is, of those who have little. Ps. 9: "The poor man has been left to you." Ex. 2: "He heard their groaning and remembered His covenant." "Now I will arise, says the Lord." "Now," at the opportune time. Ps. 9: "A helper in due time, in tribulation." Is. 49: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you." "I will set in your salvation," that is, I will place; "I will act confidently in it," that is, I will be in it. Jer. 1: "Do not be afraid before their face, because I am with you." Is. 14: "The Lord of hosts has decreed, and who can annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?" Jer. 1: "They shall fight against you, and they shall not prevail, because I am with you to deliver you." And Jer. 39: "Your soul shall be saved, because you have put your trust in me, says the Lord."

Then when he says, "vain things," he sets forth the sign of the failure of holiness; and it is twofold, namely vanity and deceitfulness. The first sign of failure is vanity; and with regard to this he says, "they have spoken vain things," etc. That is vain which has no substance. True things, therefore, under which no vanity lies, are firm. Hence 1 Tim. 1: "The end of the commandment is charity from a pure heart, a good conscience, and an unfeigned faith; from which some, straying, have turned aside to vain talking." Jer. 9: "Let each one guard himself from his neighbor." Gregory: "A vain word is an indication of a vain mind." Likewise, that is vain which is not grasped by the understanding; even superfluous words are vain. Prov. 14: "Where there are many words, there is frequently want." Likewise, that is vain which is not stable; and thus words about temporal things are vain. Jn. 3: "He who is of the earth speaks of the earth." Is. 29: "Your speech shall whisper out of the dust." But to whom do they speak vain things? To their neighbor, to whom they ought to speak the truth. Eph. 4: "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor." The second sign of the failure of holiness is deceitfulness; and with regard to this he says, "deceitful lips, with a double heart they have spoken." The doubling signifies a double heart. They show by their mouth that they have one thing, but in their heart they have another. They show sorrow and rejoice; they show love and hate; they feign compassion and exult. Jas. 1: "A double-minded man is inconstant in all his ways." Sir. 2: "Woe to the double heart and the wicked lips."