Psalms 12 · Verse 1

Psalms 12:1

To the chief Musician upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David. Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.
Psalms 12:1, King James Version

Psalms 12:1 in other translations

BSBFor the choirmaster. According to Sheminith. A Psalm of David. Help, O LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.
WEBFor the Chief Musician; upon an eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm of David. Help, LORD; for the godly man ceases. For the faithful fail from among the children of men.
ASVFor the Chief Musician; set to the Sheminith. A Psalm of David. Help, Jehovah; for the godly man ceaseth; For the faithful fail from among the children of men.
YLTTo the Overseer, on the octave. --A Psalm of David. Save, Jehovah, for the saintly hath failed, For the stedfast have ceased From the sons of men:
DARBYTo the chief Musician. Upon Sheminith. A Psalm of David. Save, Jehovah, for thegodly man is gone; for the faithful have failed from among the children of men.
BBESend help, Lord, for mercy has come to an end; there is no more faith among the children of men.
WebsterTo the chief Musician upon Sheminith. A Psalm of David. Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.

What does Psalms 12:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Psa 12:1-8. On title, see Introduction and see on Psa 6:1. The Psalmist laments the decrease of good men. The pride and deceit of the wicked provokes God's wrath, whose promise to avenge the cause of pious sufferers will be verified even amidst prevailing iniquity.

1. the faithful--or literally, "faithfulness" (Psa 31:23).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

The psalmist, destitute of human comfort, craves help from God, Psa 12:1; gives the character of those who surrounded him, and denounces God's judgments against them, Psa 12:2-5; confides in the promises of God, and in his protection of him and all good men, Psa 12:6-8. The inscription to this Psalm is: To the chief Musician upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David. See on the title of Psa 6:1-10 (note): The Arabic has "Concerning the end (of the world which shall happen) on the eighth day. A prophecy relative to the Advent of the Messiah." Some think that this Psalm was made when Doeg and the Ziphites betrayed David to Saul, see 1 Samuel 22 and 23; but it is most likely that was written during the Babylonish captivity. Verse 1 Help, Lord - Save me, O Lord; for merciful men fail, and faithful men have passed away from the sons of Adam. Make safe me, Lord; for haly failed, for lessed es sothfastnes fra sons of men. Old MS.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
The psalmist begs help of God, because there were none among men whom he durst trust. --This psalm furnishes good thoughts for bad times; a man may comfort himself with such meditations and prayers. Let us see what makes the times bad, and when they may be said to be so. Ask the children of this world, What makes the times bad? 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 on causes of another nature, 2Ti 3:1, &c.: perilous times shall come, for sin shall abound; and of this David complains. When piety decays times really are bad. He who made man's mouth will call him to an account for his proud, profane, dissembling, or even useless words. When the poor and needy are oppressed, then the times are very bad. God himself takes notice of the oppression of the poor, and the sighing of the needy. When wickedness abounds, and is countenanced by those in authority, then the times are very bad. See with what good things we are here furnished for such bad times; and we cannot tell what times we may be reserved for. 1. We have a God to go to, from whom we may ask and expect the redress of all our grievances. 2. God will certainly punish and restrain false and proud men. 3. God will work deliverance for his oppressed people. His help is given in the fittest time. Though men are false, God is faithful; though they are not to be trusted, God is. The preciousness of God's word is compared to silver refined to the highest degree. How many proofs have been given of its power and truth! God will secure his chosen remnant, however bad the times are. As long as the world stands, there will be a generation of proud and wicked men. But all God's people are put into the hands of Christ our Saviour; there they are in safety, for none can pluck them thence; being built on Him, the Rock, they are safe, notwithstanding temptation or persecution come with ever so much force upon them.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Psalms 12:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

הוֹשִׁ֣יעָהho.Shi.'ahsave !H3467
יְ֭הוָהYah.wehO YahwehH3068
כִּי\־ki-forH3588
גָמַ֣רga.Marhe has come to an endH1584
חָסִ֑ידcha.Sid[the] faithfulH2623
כִּי\־ki-forH3588
פַ֥סּוּFa.suthey have vanishedH6461
אֱ֝מוּנִ֗ים'e.mu.Nimfaithful [people]H529
מִבְּנֵ֥יmi.be.Neifrom [the] children ofH1121
אָדָֽם\׃'a.DamhumankindH120

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Psalms 12:1

  • Isaiah 57:1

    The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.

  • Jeremiah 5:1

    Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.

  • Matthew 24:12

    And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

  • Isaiah 59:13-15

    In transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.

  • Isaiah 1:21-22

    How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:

  • Psalms 6:1

    To the chief Musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David. O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

  • Isaiah 63:5

    And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.

  • Micah 7:1-2

    Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit. The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.

  • Proverbs 20:6

    Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?

  • Genesis 6:12

    And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

  • 1 Chronicles 15:21

    And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed–edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel.

  • Psalms 6:4

    Return, O Lord, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies’ sake.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 David, destitute of human comfort, craves help of God.
3 He comforts himself with God's promises, and his judgments on the wicked.

(Title.) Sheminith. or, The eighth.
6:1; *title
1Ch 15:21
Help. or, Save.
3:7; 6:4; 54:1; Mt 8:25; 14:30
godly.
Ge 6:12; Isa 1:9,21,22; 57:1; 63:5; Jer 5:1; Mic 7:1,2; Mt 24:12
faithful.
Pr 20:6; Isa 59:4,13-15

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Psalms 12:1

    To the chief Musician upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David. Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.

  • Psalms 12:2

    They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.

Read all of Psalms 12

Psalms 12:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Al Músico principal: sobre Seminith: Salmo de David. SALVA, oh Jehová, porque se acabaron los misericordiosos: porque se han acabado los fieles de entre los hijos de los hombres.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Au chef de musique. Sur Sheminith. Psaume de David.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Rette, Jehova! denn der Fromme ist dahin, denn die Treuen sind verschwunden unter den Menschenkindern.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		In finem. Psalmus David. Usquequo, Domine, oblivisceris me in finem? usquequo avertis faciem tuam a me?