Psalm 12:2 kjv
They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
Psalm 12:2 nkjv
They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
Psalm 12:2 niv
Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts.
Psalm 12:2 esv
Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
Psalm 12:2 nlt
Neighbors lie to each other,
speaking with flattering lips and deceitful hearts.
Psalm 12 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Pr 12:22 | The LORD detests lying lips, but delights in people who are trustworthy. | God detests lies and values truth. |
| Rev 21:8 | But the cowardly, the unbelieving...and all liars—they will be consigned... | Eternal judgment for liars. |
| Col 3:9 | Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self... | Believers commanded to cease lying. |
| Eph 4:25 | Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully... | Speaking truth as a Christian virtue. |
| Is 59:4 | No one calls for justice; no one pleads a case with integrity. They rely on deception... | Widespread societal dishonesty. |
| Pr 7:21 | With her many persuasive words she allures him; with her smooth talk she entices him. | Danger of smooth, deceptive speech. |
| Pr 26:28 | A lying tongue hates those it hurts; and a flattering mouth works ruin. | Flattery's destructive nature. |
| Ro 16:18 | For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. | Flattery used for deceit in the church. |
| Jd 1:16 | These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. | Flattery for personal gain. |
| Jas 1:8 | Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. | The nature of a double-minded person. |
| Jas 4:8 | Draw near to God...Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. | Call for purity from double-mindedness. |
| Mt 6:24 | No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. | Divided loyalty; serving two masters. |
| 1 Kgs 18:21 | How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him. | Indecision and double-mindedness (Baal vs God). |
| Ps 33:4 | For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. | God's word as a contrast to human lies. |
| Jn 14:6 | Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life..." | Jesus as the embodiment of truth. |
| Tit 1:2 | ...in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised... | God's character as One who cannot lie. |
| Jer 9:5 | They deceive every friend, and no one speaks the truth... | Widespread deceit in Judah. |
| Mic 7:2 | The faithful have vanished from the land; no one is upright... | Absence of uprightness; parallel to Ps 12:1. |
| Hab 1:4 | Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails... | Justice corrupted by ungodly behavior. |
| 2 Ti 3:2-5 | For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money...having a form of godliness but denying its power. | Characteristics of ungodly people in latter days, including lack of truth. |
| Ps 12:6 | The words of the LORD are pure words... | Directly contrasts man's lies with God's pure words. |
| Ps 119:140 | Your promises have been thoroughly tested and your servant loves them. | God's tested and pure word. |
Psalm 12 verses
Psalm 12 2 Meaning
Psalm 12:2 vividly portrays a society plagued by pervasive dishonesty and insincerity. It describes individuals routinely speaking falsehoods to their neighbors, employing artful and deceptive words designed to flatter or manipulate, and harboring duplicitous intentions within their hearts. The verse highlights a deep-seated corruption of speech and motive among people.
Psalm 12 2 Context
Psalm 12 is a lament of David, deeply concerned with the moral decay of his society. The psalm opens with a desperate plea for divine help (Ps 12:1), articulating that the godly and faithful have seemingly disappeared from among humanity. Verse 2 immediately expands on why this plea is necessary, providing a concise diagnosis of the prevailing societal malady: widespread deceit. It portrays a public square where trustworthy communication has been replaced by calculated falsehoods. This environment leaves the righteous feeling isolated and oppressed, underscoring the urgency for God's intervention, which the psalm contrasts with the deceitful words of men with the pure words of God (Ps 12:6).
Psalm 12 2 Word analysis
- Everyone: The Hebrew original uses an emphatic structure that highlights the pervasiveness of the problem. It suggests that this deceit is not isolated to a few individuals but is characteristic of the broader populace.
- utters lies: The Hebrew word is kazav (כָּזָבִים), meaning "falsehoods," "lies," or "deceit." This emphasizes intentional fabrication and communication of untruths. It is a direct act of deception.
- to his neighbor: The Hebrew lere'ehu (לְרֵעֵהוּ) specifically points to intimate, interpersonal relationships within the community. The breach of trust is personal and violates the covenantal obligation to truthfulness, particularly significant within Israelite society which valued community and truthfulness (Ex 20:16).
- with flattering lips: The phrase in Hebrew is bis'fat khalaqot (בִּשְׂפַת חֲלָקוֹת). S'fat means "lips." Khalaqot derives from a root meaning "smooth" or "slippery." This describes speech that is pleasing to the ear, smooth-sounding, and persuasive, but designed to conceal ulterior motives or harmful intentions. It's not just a lie, but a skillfully presented one meant to charm or disarm, often for selfish gain.
- and a double heart: The Hebrew v'lev v'lev (וְלֵב וָלֵב) is an idiomatic expression, literally "and heart and heart." It signifies internal division, duplicity, or hypocrisy. It describes a person who has two competing wills or allegiances, one outward appearance or word, and a contrasting inward motive or intention. Their speech does not genuinely reflect their true self, highlighting profound insincerity.
- they speak: The verb suggests a continuous, habitual action. This is not an occasional slip but a characteristic pattern of communication. This continuous practice of deceit underscores the deep corruption observed by the Psalmist.
Psalm 12 2 Bonus section
The concept of "double heart" (וְלֵב וָלֵב) contrasts sharply with the biblical ideal of a "single eye" (Mt 6:22) or a "wholehearted" devotion (Dt 6:5). While "flattering lips" indicate a sophisticated rhetorical deceit, the "double heart" points to the source of that deceit being a fractured, insincere inner life. This spiritual state prevents a person from receiving blessings (Jas 1:6-8) and marks them as unreliable. The prevalence of such a condition leads to spiritual desolation in the community, setting up the profound contrast with the perfectly pure and trustworthy words of God (Ps 12:6), which stands as the only solid ground in such a deceptive world.
Psalm 12 2 Commentary
Psalm 12:2 encapsulates a society suffering from an epidemic of dishonesty, where words are weaponized for manipulation rather than serving truth and fostering genuine connection. The Psalmist observes a widespread departure from integrity, characterized by three intertwined evils: direct lies to one's associates, artful flattery used to deceive, and an underlying duplicity of heart that renders all communication suspect. This pervasive untrustworthiness undermines the very fabric of human relationship, as trust—essential for any community—is systematically eroded. The "double heart" signifies more than mere indecision; it points to a calculated insincerity, where an individual consciously maintains contradictory intentions or facades. Such a moral climate is devastating, leading to the vanishing of the "godly" and the prevalence of injustice, thereby intensifying the Psalmist's urgent appeal for divine intervention. It reminds believers that true integrity encompasses both outward expression and inward motive, a principle deeply rooted in biblical teaching (Mt 15:18).