Psalm 12

Psalm 12 is the 12th psalm from the Book of Psalms. It is a Psalm of lament, internally cited as being a psalm of David. In the Septuagint and Vulgate it is numbered as Psalm 11.

This article uses Hebrew (Masoretic) psalm numbering. Psalm 12 in Greek (Septuagint or Vulgate) numbering corresponds to Psalm 13 in Hebrew numbering.

Text

From the King James Version:[1]

  1. Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.
  2. They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
  3. The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:
  4. Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?
  5. For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.
  6. The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
  7. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
  8. The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.

Interpretation

There is a cry for help amidst evil men: God will cut off flattering lips. Charles Spurgeon vividly describes the finality saying

They will not be able to continue speaking falsely and proudly for over;
a shovelful of earth from the grave-digger’s spade will silence them,
and a terrible display of God’s justice will make them speechless for ever.[2]

An answer to the cry for help comes: God will arise and defend the poor. Many writers have pointed out that it is not at all clear where God said "Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise". Some suggested some special revelation possibly through David himself, as David claimed "The spirit of God spoke through me" in 2 Samuel 23:12. Other possibilities include Isaiah 33:10, "I will arise", in the context of a greater salvation for Israel, or arising for judgement as in Genesis 18:20-21, where the Lord got up and went down Sodom because of cries of oppression.[3]

Hope in God's promise that "I will arise and defend the poor" is bolstered by a reminder that God's word is like silver that was purified over and over even 7 times. That help will be apparently deferred in Psalm 13 with cries of 'How long?' David himself, in his final Psalm of blessing for Solomon, urges Solomon to also defend the poor in Psalm 72:4 emulating God.[4]

Man's sinful state is a theme and like the two psalms before it, Psalm 12 ends with an uncomplimentary statement about fallen men in verse 8. The godly man ceases in psalm 12:1, sinful remain in psalm 14:1-4 [5]

The reformation theologian John Calvin, in his commentary on this psalm, interprets the passage as referring to the truthfulness of God in contrast to humanity, saying that the elaboration of God's actions in the psalm reflect promises God had made with the Israelites.[6]

The genre of the psalm is unclear.[7] Jörg Jeremias sees in it most as the "prophetic action liturgy". Hermann Gunkel also speaks of the Psalm as "liturgy".[8] Here "liturgy" means the intention of the performance was for changing voices was in the service.[9]

Structure

Gunkel divides the psalm as follows:[10]

  1. Verses 2-2: After a short cry for help, the complaint that falsehood prevails
  2. Verses 4-5: desire YHWH may intervene
  3. Verse 6: consolation that YHWH salvation appears now
  4. Verses 7-9: Answers: praise the word of YHWH

Usage

Judaism

Catholic Church

According to the Rule of St. Benedict (530 AD), Psalm 1 to Psalm 20 were mainly reserved for the office of Prime. This Psalm 11 he said was so recited or sung at Prime on Wednesday.[12] A number of monasteries still respect this tradition. In the Liturgy of the Hours, Psalm 12 is now recited on Tuesday the first week to the Office of the middle of the day.[13]

Music

In 1523, Martin Luther created a Choral Ach Gott for this Psalm and Johann Sebastian Bach wrote a cantata for Ach Gott.[14]

Marc-Antoine Charpentier set around 1685 one Psalm 12 "Usquequo Domine" H.196, for 4 voices, recorder, flutes, and continuo.

References
  1. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2012&version=KJV
  2. Spurgeon, C. H., Spurgeon's Verse Expositions of the Bible: Psalm 12, accessed 20 July 2020
  3. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis+18%3A20-21&version=ESV
  4. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+72:4&version=ESV
  5. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+14&version=ESV
  6. Calvin, John (1850). King, John (ed.). Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. 8: Psalms, Part I. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  7. Theodor Lescow,Das Stufenschema( 1992), p123.
  8. Hermann Gunkel, Die Psalmen (1986), p43.
  9. Hermann Gunkel ,Einleitung in die Psalmen (1985), p407.
  10. Hermann Gunkel, Die Psalmen, p43
  11. The Artscroll Tehillim page 329
  12. Traduction par Prosper Guéranger, Règle de saint Benoît, (Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Solesmes, réimpression 2007) p46.
  13. The main cycle of liturgical prayers takes place over four weeks.
  14. BWV 2 (1724).
  • Psalm 12 in Hebrew and English - Mechon-mamre
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