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Commentary on Psalms 12 verses 1–8
This psalm furnishes us with good thoughts for bad times, in which, though the prudent will keep silent (Amo 5:13) because a man may then be made an offender for a word, yet we may comfort ourselves with such suitable meditations and prayers as are here got ready to our hand.
I. Let us see here what it is that makes the times bad, and when they may be said to be so. Ask the children of this world what it is in their account that makes the times bad, and they will tell you, Scarcity of money, decay of trade, and the desolations of war, make the times bad. But the scripture lays the badness of the times upon causes of another nature. Ti2 3:1, Perilous times shall come, for iniquity shall abound; and that is the thing David here complains of.
1.When there is a general decay of piety and honesty among men the times are then truly bad (Psa 12:1): When the godly man ceases and the faithful fail. Observe how these two characters are here put together, the godly and the faithful. As there is no true policy, so there is no true piety, without honesty. Godly men are faithful men, fast men, so they have sometimes been called; their word is as confirming as their oath, as binding as their bond; they make conscience of being true both to God and man. They are here said to cease and fail, either by death or by desertion, or by both. Those that were godly and faithful were taken away, and those that were left had sadly degenerated and were not what they had been; so that there were few or no good people that were Israelites indeed to be met with. Perhaps he meant that there were no godly faithful men among Saul's courtiers; if he meant there were few or none in Israel, we hope he was under the same mistake that Elijah was, who thought he only was left alone, when God had 7000 who kept their integrity (Rom 11:3); or he meant that there were few in comparison; there was a general decay of religion and virtue (and the times are bad, very bad, when it is so), not a man to be found that executes judgment, Jer 5:1.
2.When dissimulation and flattery have corrupted and debauched all conversation, then the times are very bad (Psa 12:2), when men are generally so profligate that they make no conscience of a lie, are so spiteful as to design against their neighbours the worst of mischiefs, and yet so base as to cover the design with the most specious and plausible pretences and professions of friendship. Thus they speak vanity (that is, falsehood and a lie) every one to his neighbour, with flattering lips and a double heart. They will kiss and kill (as Joab did Abner and Amasa in David's own time), will smile in your face and cut your throat. This is the devil's image complete, a complication of malice and falsehood. The times are bad indeed when there is no such thing as sincerity to be met with, when an honest man knows not whom to believe nor whom to trust, nor dares put confidence in a friend, in a guide, Mic 7:5, Mic 7:6; Jer 9:4, Jer 9:5. Woe to those who help to make the times thus perilous.
3.When the enemies of God, and religion, and religious people, are impudent and daring, and threaten to run down all that is just and sacred, then the times are very bad, when proud sinners have arrived at such a pitch of impiety as to say, "With our tongue will we prevail against the cause of virtue; our lips are our own and we may say what we will; who is lord over us, either to restrain us or to call us to an account?" Psa 12:4. This bespeaks, (1.) A proud conceit of themselves and confidence in themselves, as if the point were indeed gained by eating forbidden fruit, and they were as gods, independent and self-sufficient, infallible in their knowledge of good and evil and therefore fit to be oracles, irresistible in their power and therefore fit to be lawgivers, that could prevail with their tongues, and, like God himself, speak and it is done. (2.) An insolent contempt of God's dominion as if he had no propriety in them - Our lips are our own (an unjust pretension, for who made man's mouth, in whose hand is his breath, and whose is the air he breathes in?) and as if he had no authority either to command them or to judge them: Who is Lord over us? Like Pharaoh, Exo 5:1. This is as absurd and unreasonable as the former; for he in whom we live, and move, and have our being, must needs be, by an indisputable title, Lord over us.
4.When the poor and needy are oppressed, and abused, and puffed at, then the times are very bad. This is implied (Psa 12:5) where God himself takes notice of the oppression of the poor and the sighing of the needy; they are oppressed because they are poor, have all manner of wrong done them merely because they are not in a capacity to right themselves. Being thus oppressed, they dare not speak for themselves, lest their defence should be made their offence; but they sigh, secretly bemoaning their calamities, and pouring out their souls in sighs before God. If their oppressors be spoken to on their behalf, they puff at them, make light of their own sin and the misery of the poor, and lay neither to heart; see Psa 10:5.
5.When wickedness abounds, and goes barefaced, under the protection and countenance of those in authority, then the times are very bad, Psa 12:8. When the vilest men are exalted to places of trust and power (who, instead of putting the laws in execution against vice and injustice and punishing the wicked according to their merits, patronise and protect them, give them countenance, and support their reputation by their own example), then the wicked walk on every side; they swarm in all places, and go up and down seeking to deceive, debauch, and destroy others; they are neither afraid nor ashamed to discover themselves; they declare their sin as Sodom and there is none to check or control them. Bad men are base men, the vilest of men, and they are so though they are ever so highly exalted in this world. Antiochus the illustrious the scripture calls a vile person, Dan 11:21. But it is bad with a kingdom when such are preferred; no marvel if wickedness then grows impudent and insolent. When the wicked bear rule the people mourn.
II. Let us now see what good thoughts we are here furnished with for such bad times; and what times we may yet be reserved for we cannot tell. When times are thus bad it is comfortable to think,
1.That we have a God to go to, from whom we may ask and expect the redress of all our grievances. This he begins with (Psa 12:1): "Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth. All other helps and helpers fail; even the godly and faithful, who should lend a helping hand to support the dying cause of religion, are gone, and therefore whither shall we seek but to thee?" Note, When godly faithful people cease and fail it is time to cry, Help, Lord! The abounding of iniquity threatens a deluge. "Help, Lord, help the virtuous; few seek to hold fast their integrity, and to stand in the gap; help to save thy own interest in the world from sinking. It is time for thee, Lord, to work."
2.That God will certainly reckon with false and proud men, and will punish and restrain their insolence. They are above the control of men and set them at defiance. Men cannot discover the falsehood of flatterers, nor humble the haughtiness of those that speak proud things; but the righteous God will cut off all flattering lips, that give the traitor's kiss and speak words softer then oil when war is in the heart; he will pluck out the tongue that speaks proud things against God and religion, Psa 12:3. Some translate it as a prayer, "May God cut off those false and spiteful lips." Let lying lips be put to silence.
3.That God will, in due time, work deliverance for his oppressed people, and shelter them from the malicious designs of their persecutors (Psa 12:5): Now, will I arise, saith the Lord. This promise of God, which David here delivered by the spirit of prophecy, is an answer to that petition which he put up to God by the spirit of prayer. "Help, Lord," says he; "I will," says God; "here I am, with seasonable and effectual help." (1.) It is seasonable, in the fittest time. [1.] When the oppressors are in the height of their pride and insolence - when they say, Who is lord over us? - then is God's time to let them know, to their cost, that he is above them. [2.] When the oppressed are in the depth of their distress and despondency, when they are sighing like Israel in Egypt by reason of the cruel bondage, then is God's time to appear for them, as for Israel when they were most dejected and Pharaoh was most elevated. Now will I arise. Note, There is a time fixed for the rescue of oppressed innocency; that time will come, and we may be sure it is the fittest time, Psa 102:13. (2.) It is effectual: I will set him in safety, or in salvation, not only protect him, but restore him to his former prosperity, will bring him out into a wealthy place (Psa 66:12), so that, upon the whole, he shall lose nothing by his sufferings.
4.That, though men are false, God is faithful; though they are not to be trusted, God is. They speak vanity and flattery, but the words of the Lord are pure words (Psa 12:6), not only all true, but all pure, like silver tried in a furnace of earth or a crucible. It denotes, (1.) The sincerity of God's word, every thing is really as it is there represented and not otherwise; it does not jest with us, not impose upon us, nor has it any other design towards us than our own good. (2.) The preciousness of God's word; it is of great and intrinsic value, like silver refined to the highest degree; it has nothing in it to depreciate it. (3.) The many proofs that have been given of its power and truth; it has been often tried, all the saints in all ages have trusted it and so tried it, and it never deceived them nor frustrated their expectation, but they have all set to their seal that God's word is true, with an Experto crede - Trust one that has made trial; they have found it so. Probably this refers especially to these promises of succouring and relieving the poor and oppressed. Their friends put them in hopes that they will do something for them, and yet prove a broken reed; but the words of God are what we may rely upon; and the less confidence is to be put in men's words let us with the more assurance trust in God's word.
5.That God will secure his chosen remnant to himself, how bad soever the times are (Psa 12:7): Thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. This intimates that, as long as the world stands, there will be a generation of proud and wicked men in it, more or less, who will threaten by their wretched arts to ruin religion, by wearing out the saints of the Most High, Dan 7:25. But let God alone to maintain his own interest and to preserve his own people. He will keep them from this generation, (1.) From being debauched by them and drawn away from God, from mingling with them and learning their works. In times of general apostasy the Lord knows those that are his, and they shall be enabled to keep their integrity. (2.) From being destroyed and rooted out by them. The church is built upon a rock, and so well fortified that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. In the worst of times God has his remnant, and in every age will reserve to himself a holy seed and preserve that to his heavenly kingdom.
In singing this psalm, and praying it over, we must bewail the general corruption of manners, thank God that things are not worse than they are, but pray and hope that they will be better in God's due time.
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.
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.
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.
"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."
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SUMMARY
Psalm 12:6 offers a profound declaration of the absolute purity, reliability, and trustworthiness of God's words, standing in stark contrast to the deceitful and unreliable speech of humanity described throughout the psalm. Through the vivid metaphor of silver refined repeatedly in a furnace, the verse powerfully communicates that divine communication is completely free from impurity, error, or falsehood, serving as an unshakeable foundation for faith and life amidst a world of pervasive untruth.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalm 12:6 is rich in literary artistry, primarily employing Simile and Hyperbole to convey its profound theological truth. The verse's core is a powerful Simile, explicitly comparing "the words of the LORD" to "silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times" through the use of "as." This comparison draws a direct parallel between the purity of God's speech and the highest possible standard of refined metal. The imagery of silver refining itself functions as a Metaphor for testing and purification, deeply embedded in ancient Near Eastern culture, making the abstract concept of divine purity tangible and relatable. The phrase "purified seven times" functions as Hyperbole, an exaggeration used for emphasis. While silver would not literally be refined exactly seven times, the number "seven" (a number of completeness and perfection in biblical thought) conveys the idea of ultimate, flawless purity, beyond any human standard. This hyperbole underscores the absolute and unchallengeable nature of God's word. Furthermore, the verse stands in stark Contrast to the human words described earlier in the psalm, which are characterized by flattery, deceit, and arrogance. This juxtaposition highlights the unique and divine quality of God's speech as the only reliable source of truth.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalm 12:6 is a foundational declaration concerning the nature of divine revelation. It asserts the inerrancy and infallibility of God's words, meaning they are utterly truthful and incapable of error. This purity is not merely a characteristic but flows directly from God's own holy and perfect character. Just as God Himself is without blemish, so too are His communications. This verse affirms the sufficiency and authority of Scripture, implying that God's word provides a complete and trustworthy guide for life, standing as the ultimate standard against which all other words and claims must be measured. In a world saturated with misinformation and shifting truths, the purity of God's word offers a stable, unchanging anchor for faith and moral conduct. It assures believers that when God speaks, His words are not only true but also perfectly reliable and eternally enduring, providing a firm foundation for trust and obedience.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
In a world increasingly characterized by "fake news," political spin, and the erosion of trust in institutions, the message of Psalm 12:6 resonates with profound relevance. It calls us to critically evaluate the words we hear, read, and even speak, measuring them against the flawless standard of God's pure word. For the believer, this verse offers immense comfort and stability: amidst the shifting sands of human opinion, deceit, and broken promises, the word of our God stands forever, perfectly pure and utterly dependable. This truth should cultivate a deep sense of trust in God's promises, His commands, and His revealed will. It encourages us to immerse ourselves in Scripture, knowing that we are encountering the very thoughts and character of a perfectly truthful God. Our lives, decisions, and hopes can be built on this unshakeable foundation, empowering us to live with integrity and confidence, knowing that the source of our truth is eternally pure.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "furnace of earth" mean in the context of refining silver?
Answer: The "furnace of earth" (כּוּר עָלִיל, kur ‘alil) refers to a crucible or smelting pot made of clay or earthenware. In ancient metallurgy, these ceramic vessels were specifically designed to withstand the extremely high temperatures required to melt and purify metals like silver. Raw silver ore or impure silver would be placed in this crucible and heated intensely, causing impurities (known as dross) to separate and rise to the surface, where they could be skimmed off. The phrase emphasizes the physical process and the harsh conditions under which the silver was "tried" or tested, highlighting the thoroughness of the purification.
Why is it significant that God's word is "purified seven times"?
Answer: The phrase "purified seven times" (שִׁבְעָתַיִם, shiv'atayim) uses the number seven, which in biblical literature often symbolizes completeness, perfection, and divine fullness. It does not necessarily mean a literal count of seven distinct refining cycles, but rather indicates that God's words have undergone the most exhaustive, thorough, and perfect purification imaginable. This signifies that they are absolutely flawless, without any trace of impurity, error, or deceit. It underscores the ultimate reliability and unassailable truthfulness of God's every declaration, command, and promise.
How does Psalm 12:6 relate to the trustworthiness of the Bible today?
Answer: Psalm 12:6 provides a foundational theological principle for understanding the trustworthiness of the Bible. It asserts that the "words of the LORD" are inherently pure and perfectly refined. For Christians, this applies to the inspired Scriptures, which are God's revealed word to humanity. This verse supports the doctrine of biblical inerrancy and infallibility, meaning that the Bible, in its original manuscripts, is without error in all that it affirms and is completely trustworthy in all matters of faith and life. It assures us that despite human authorship, the divine origin and oversight guarantee its absolute purity and reliability, making it a dependable guide for truth in a world full of falsehoods, as highlighted by 2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Peter 1:21.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalm 12:6, with its declaration of the absolute purity of God's words, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ. He is not merely a speaker of God's pure words; He is the living Word of God made flesh, as declared in John 1:1. In Him, the perfect, unadulterated essence of God's communication is embodied. Just as the psalmist declares God's words to be "purified seven times," Jesus's life, teachings, and very being are the perfect, flawless expression of divine truth. His words, recorded in the Gospels, are themselves pure and eternal, as He Himself declared, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away" in Matthew 24:35. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, perfectly reflecting the purity of the Father's character as stated in John 14:6. The "furnace of earth" through which God's word is tried can be seen in the crucible of Christ's earthly life, His temptations, His suffering, and ultimately His death and resurrection, where His perfect obedience and truthfulness were vindicated. Thus, in Christ, we encounter the pure, refined Word of God, not just as written text, but as a living, saving Person who perfectly reveals the Father and offers the unblemished truth that sets us free, as promised in John 8:32.