Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 12:4
Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips [are] our own: who [is] lord over us?
4. Who ] Namely, the owners of the flattering lips and boastful tongues. ‘ Our tongue,’ they say, ‘ we will make mighty: our lips are with us,’ under our own control, at command as faithful allies; who is lord over us? No one can call us to account for our use of them (Psa 10:4). Unscrupulous courtiers appear to be meant, who deliberately propose to obtain their own ends by reckless disregard of truth, e.g. by flattery, slander, false witness, and the like.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Who have said – Who habitually say. This does not mean that they had formally and openly said this – for none would be likely to do so – but that they had practically and really said this by their conduct. They acted as if it were the real principle on which they framed their lives, that they might use their tongues as they pleased.
With our tongue – literally, as to, or in respect to our tongue; that is, by our tongue. It was by the tongue that they expected to accomplish their purposes. It was not by direct power, or by violence, but by the power of speech.
Will we prevail – literally, We will do mightily; that is, they would accomplish their purposes. They relied on the power of speech – on their ability in influencing others; in deceiving others; in persuading others to fall in with their plans.
Our lips are our own – That is, we may use them as we please; no one has a right to control us in the use of what properly belongs to ourselves. It cannot be meant that they intended to assert this openly as a right, for there are perhaps none who will not admit in words that they are responsible for what they say, as well as for what they do. But their conduct was such that this was the fair interpretation to be placed on what they said. They would speak this if they openly professed and avowed what was their real opinion.
Who is lord over us? – That is, who has a right to control us in the case? There are many who practically avow this as a principle of conduct, and who seem to feel that they are not responsible for their words, however much they may admit their responsibility for their actions. There is usually a greater degree of recklessness among men in regard to their speech than in regard to their conduct; and many a man who would shrink from doing another wrong by an act of dishonesty in business, may be utterly reckless as to doing him wrong by an unkind remark.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 4. Our lips are our own] Many think, because they have the faculty of speaking, that therefore they may speak what they please.
Old MS. – The qwilk sayd, our toung we sal wyrchip, our lippes er of us, qwas our Lorde? Tha Ypocrites worchepes thair toung; for thai hee tham self janglyng and settes in thaire pouste to do mykil thyng and grete: and thai rose tham that thair lippes that es thair facund and thair wyls er of tham self, nought of God, ne of haly menes lare; for thi that say qua es our Lord? that es, qwat es he to qwas rewle and conversacioun we sal be undir lout? and confourme us til? Als so to say, That es none.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
With our tongue will we prevail, by raising and spreading slanders and evil reports concerning him, whereby both Saul will be highly and implacably enraged against David, and the hearts of the people alienated from him; which was indeed a very likely way to prevail against, him, and that by their tongues only.
Our lips are our own, i.e. at our own dispose to speak what we please.
Who is lord over us; who can control or restrain us? This was not the language of their mouths, for they were Israelites, that owned a God above them, and they were subjects of Saul; but the language of their actions. Scripture oft tells us not only what men do actually say, but what they would say if they durst, or what their actions mean, as Psa 94:7; Mal 1:12,13; 2:17. They take as great a liberty in their speech as if they believed there was no God or man superior to them; because neither the fear of God, nor the reverence of men, can keep them from speaking whatsoever they please, or what they suppose makes for their interest.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Who have said, with our tongue will we prevail,…. Either through the eloquence of them, or the outward force and power with which they are backed. The sense is, as we say, so shall it be; our words are laws, and shall be obeyed, there is no standing against them; our edicts and decrees shall everywhere be regarded: or “we will make one to prevail”, or “have the dominion” g; meaning antichrist, the man of sin; for all this is true of the tongues of the antichristian party, and of their laws, edicts, and decrees and which have obtained everywhere, and by which the wicked one has been established in his tyrannical power and authority;
our lips [are] our own, or “with us” h: we will say what we please, and make what laws and decrees we think fit, and impose them upon men; and so change times and laws without control, Da 7:25;
who [is] Lord over us? which is the very language and conduct of antichrist, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, 2Th 2:4; and is indeed the language of the hearts and lives of all wicked and ungodly men, sons of Belial, men without any yoke or restraint; who walk, and are resolved to walk, after the imagination of their own evil hearts; not knowing the Lord, and being unwilling to obey him, or to be restrained by him; see Ex 5:2.
g “prevalere ac dominare, faciemus, scil. aliquem regem, dominum”, Cocceius. h “nobiscum”, Musculus, Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Cocceius, Gejerus, Michaelis; so Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Ainsworth.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
This the Psalmist confirms more fully in the following verse: Who have said, we will be strengthened by our tongues Those must be possessed of great authority who think that, in the very falsehood to which they are addicted, they have enough of strength to accomplish their purposes, and to protect themselves. It is the utmost height of wickedness for persons to break out into such presumption, that they scruple not to overthrow all law and equity by their arrogant and boasting language; for, in doing this, it is just as if they openly declared war against God himself. Some read, we will strengthen our tongues. This reading is passable, in so far as the sense is concerned, but it scarcely agrees with the rules of grammar, because the letter ל, lamed, is added. Moreover, the sense which is more suitable is this: that the wicked persons spoken of being armed with their tongues, go beyond all bounds, and think they can accomplish by this means whatever they please; just as this set of men so deform every thing with their calumnies, that they would almost cover the sun himself with darkness.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(4) 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 thee, 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. (Comp. 2Ki. 9:32.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4. With our tongue will we prevail The tongue is often a more deadly weapon than the sword, and these boasters seem to have been aware of its envenomed power. These men would be weak in open war, but were terrible in flattery, evil counsel, and lies. Here-in lay their strength, of which they boasted, not knowing that a just God rules, and that the world is not abandoned to become the victim of tricks and contrivances.
Our lips are our own Literally, our lips are with us; are our servants, subject to our will.
Who is lord over us Here is the climax of their arrogance and impudence.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
DISCOURSE: 507
PRACTICAL ATHEISM EXPOSED
Psa 12:4. Who is Lord over us?
THAT the world lieth in wickedness, is a truth generally acknowledged. But it is by the more heinous acts alone that men in general estimate the wickedness around them: whereas in order to form a correct judgment, they should mark the alienation of heart from God which is observable, not in gross sinners only, but in the more moral and decent part of mankind. A spirit of independence pervades all ranks and orders of men: and though all do not live in the same measure of open rebellion against God, all have a standard of their own, to which to conform their lives; and, in reference to all beyond it, they say, as those in my text, Who is Lord over us? To illustrate this, I will shew,
I.
The atheism of the heart
Whether there be any who really believe there is no Supreme Being, I think, may well be doubted; since there is not an ignorant savage who does not imagine that there is some Being superior to himself, and some Being that taketh cognizance of his deportment. But a secret atheism abounds in every place; insomuch, that all who are yet in a state of nature will ask, Who is Lord over us? Who,
1.
To inspect our ways?
[That this is the sentiment of the unregenerate heart is evident, from the declaration which is made in another Psalm, which the Apostle quotes as applicable to every child of man: He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face: he will never see it. And again, He hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it [Note: Psa 10:11; Psa 10:13.]. If persons were sensible of the divine presence, and that God marks every motion of their hearts, could they give such a latitude as they do to sin, or commit it with so little fear? No: if they are hid from the eyes of men, they are satisfied: and that which was erroneously imputed by Eliphaz to Job, is really fulfilled in them; They say, How doth God know? Can he judge through the dark cloud? Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven, unobservant of his creatures ways [Note: Job 22:13-14.].]
2.
To order our paths?
[This is strongly exemplified in our text. They say, With our tongue will we prevail: our lips are our own: Who is Lord over us? It is painful to observe with what daring impiety men will cast Gods words behind them [Note: Neh 9:26.]. Declare to them the commands of men, and they will have an ear to hear; but speak to them of the commands of God, and they reject it with scorn: they reply, in heart at least, if not in word also, As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee; but we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth [Note: Jer 44:16-17.]. Pharaoh, it is true, was hardened beyond the generality of men: but his answer to Moses is still that of the generality amongst ourselves, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice? I know not the Lord; neither will I obey his voice [Note: Exo 5:2.].]
3.
To supply our wants?
[Whatever be the wants of an ungodly man, he will look to himself, or to the world, to supply them. He has no idea that God is observant of them, or will humble himself so low as to regard them. Now, this is a part of that same disposition which we have before noticed; and is no other than a denial of God. Job says, If I have made gold my hope, or said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence; this were an iniquity to be punished by the Judge; for then I should have denied the God that is above [Note: Job 31:24; Job 31:28.].]
4.
To call us to an account?
[Men imagine that what is past is all forgotten, and that they shall never hear of it any more. This is what the Psalmist so justly reproves: They say, The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise? He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see? He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct [Note: Psa 94:7-10.]? Elihu, also, conceiving it to be indulged by Job, utters a similar rebuke: Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is before him: therefore trust thou in him [Note: Job 35:14.].
Now, though in none of these particulars, perhaps, will men deny in words the interposition of Heaven; yet, in their hearts, they so far disbelieve it, that they act without any reference to it, and live, practically at least, as atheists in the world [Note: Eph 2:12. The Greek.].]
Let me, however, proceed to shew you,
II.
The folly of it
Foolish in the extreme is this disregard of God. For,
1.
It will not alter the state of things
[We may deny the agency, or even the existence, of God: but he will exist, and act too, in despite of us. We cannot reverse the order of created things: how, then, can we affect the Creator himself? He will sit on his throne, notwithstanding us; and will mark our conduct, and record it in the book of his remembrance; and call us into judgment for it, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. Now, if by denying these things we could change the course of them, then there were some reason for our conduct: but when we can alter nothing, but only deceive our own souls, it is little short of madness to continue in unbelief. In truth, we should call it madness if any man were to pursue such conduct in reference to earthly things. Suppose a man were to deny the tendency of bodies to gravitate towards the centre of the earth, and the power of fire to burn; and, in support of his sentiments, were to leap down a precipice, or thrust his hand into the fire; should we be at any loss how to designate that conduct? Yet would it not be a whit more infatuated than to go on in sin, on the presumption that God does not mark, or will not judge, the actions of men. In this case, precisely as in the other, we only rush on to our perdition.]
2.
It will not alter the issue of things
[We may declaim on the injustice of God, in consigning men to everlasting misery for the sins of time; or we may deny that there is any such place as hell. But it shall surely be the abode of the wicked, whether we will believe it or not. To judgment we shall be called: by our works we shall be judged: Gods sentence shall be according to truth; nor shall we be able to withstand it. All that we do by our present unbelief is only to insure that very doom which now we presume to question. Then shall we find, that there is a Lord over us; and that we can neither elude nor withstand his power. If now we admit the truth of these things, we may avert the misery with which we are threatened, and secure the happiness which is offered to us: but if we persevere in an atheistical denial of them, nothing remains for us, but to learn from experience what we will not learn from reason or the word of God.]
Let me conclude with answering the question which is thus presumptuously proposed
[Do you ask, Who is Lord over us? I answer, The Lord Jesus Christ is: and he has sworn, that unto him every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess [Note: Isa 45:23.]. O that you would now submit yourselves unto him! What would he not do for you? What judgments would he not avert? What blessings would he not communicate? Remember, I pray you, that He is God, and none else [Note: Isa 45:22.]. Whatever you may imagine, you can never prevail against him. As for your lips being your own; nothing that you have is your own. You are the work of his hands; and he has a right to every power that you possess. Yea, more, he has bought you with a price, even the inestimable price of his own blood: so that he has a double right over you: and you are bound, by every tie that can be conceived, to glorify him with your bodies, and with your spirits, which are his [Note: 1Co 6:20.]. Take him, then, as your Lord; and yield yourselves to him as his subjects: and then you may very safely ask, Whom have I to fear? Beloved Brethren, reject this Lord, and none can save you: give yourselves up to him, and none can harm you [Note: 1Pe 3:13.].]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 12:4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips [are] our own: who [is] lord over us?
Ver. 4. Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail ] Dictitant enim, this was a common word with them. And surely the tongue is a desperate weapon, made in the form of a flaming sword, and elsewhere by David compared to a tuck or rapier, Psa 64:3 , to a razor also, doing deceit, Psa 52:2 The Chaldee paraphrast hath this text thus, Because we can swear and lie, therefore we shall prevail.
Our lips are our own
Who is lord over us?
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
With our tongue will we prevail = Thanks to our tongue, we will prevail.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
With: Jer 18:18, Jam 3:5, Jam 3:6
our own: Heb. with us
who: Gen 3:5, Exo 5:2, Job 21:14, Job 21:15, Jer 2:31, Dan 3:15, 2Th 2:4
Reciprocal: Jdg 17:6 – right Jdg 21:25 – right Psa 17:10 – with Psa 39:1 – that I Psa 73:8 – speak wickedly Psa 100:3 – not we ourselves Psa 140:11 – an evil speaker Isa 36:18 – lest Jer 17:14 – Heal Jer 44:17 – whatsoever Hos 7:16 – the rage Rom 3:13 – with their 1Co 6:19 – and ye 2Pe 2:10 – despise
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 12:4. With our tongues will we prevail By raising and spreading evil reports concerning him. We will have the better of all that oppose us; and our tongues are the instruments whereby we will get the victory. Our lips are our own At our own disposal to speak what we please. Who is lord over us? Who can, or has any right to control us; or to call us to an account?
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
12:4 Who have said, {c} With our tongue will we prevail; our lips [are] our own: who [is] lord over us?
(c) They think themselves able to persuade whatever they take in hand.