Psalms 12 · Verse 2

Psalms 12:2

They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
Psalms 12:2, King James Version

Psalms 12:2 in other translations

BSBThey lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart.
WEBEveryone lies to his neighbor. They speak with flattering lips, and with a double heart.
ASVThey speak falsehood every one with his neighbor: With flattering lip, and with a double heart, do they speak.
YLTVanity they speak each with his neighbour, Lip of flattery! With heart and heart they speak.
DARBYThey speak falsehood every one with his neighbour: with flattering lip, with a double heart, do they speak.
BBEEveryone says false words to his neighbour: their tongues are smooth in their talk, and their hearts are full of deceit.
WebsterThey speak vanity every one with his neighbor: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.

What does Psalms 12:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. The want of it is illustrated by the prevalence of deceit and instability.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 They speak vanity every one with his neighbor - They are false and hollow; they say one thing while they mean another; there is no trusting to what they say. Flattering lips, and with a double heart do they speak - בלב ולב beleb valeb, "With a heart and a heart." They seem to have two hearts; one to speak fair words, and the other to invent mischief. The old MS. both translates and paraphrases curiously. Trans. Dayn spak ilkan til his neghbur: swykil lippis in hert, and thurgh hert thai spak. Par - Sothfastnes es lessed, and falsed waxes: and al sa vayn spak ilkone to bygyle his neghbur: and many spendes thair tyme in vayne speche withoutyn profyte and gastely frute. And that er swyku lippis; that er jangelers berkand ogaynes sothfastnes. And swykel, for thai speke in hert and thurgh hert; that es in dubil hert, qwen a fals man thynkes ane, and sais another, to desaif hym that he spekes with. This homely comment cannot be mended.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Psalms 12:2 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.

שָׁ֤וְא\׀shav'falsehoodH7723
יְֽדַבְּרוּ֮ye.da.be.Ruthey speakH1696
אִ֤ישׁ'isheachH376
אֶת\־'et-withH854
רֵ֫עֵ֥הוּre.'E.huneighbor hisH7453
שְׂפַ֥תse.Fata lip ofH8193
חֲלָק֑וֹתcha.la.Kotflatteri<es>H2513
בְּלֵ֖בbe.Levwith a heartH3820
וָלֵ֣בva.Levand a heartH3820
יְדַבֵּֽרוּ\׃ye.da.Be.ruthey speakH1696

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

Cross references for Psalms 12:2

  • Romans 16:18

    For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

  • Jeremiah 9:8

    Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait.

  • Psalms 41:6

    And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it.

  • Psalms 144:8

    Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

  • Psalms 10:7

    His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.

  • Psalms 5:9

    For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.

  • Psalms 28:3

    Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts.

  • James 1:8

    A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

  • 1 Thessalonians 2:5

    For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:

  • Psalms 52:1-4

    To the chief Musician, Maschil, A Psalm of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech. Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.

  • Proverbs 20:19

    He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.

  • Ezekiel 12:24

    For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
They.
10:7; 36:3,4; 38:12; 41:6; 52:1-4; 59:12; 144:8,11; Jer 9:2-6,8
flattering.
5:9; 28:3; 62:4; Pr 20:19; 29:5; Eze 12:24; Ro 16:18; 1Th 2:5
a double heart. Heb. an heart and an heart.
1Ch 12:33; *marg:
Jas 1:8

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.

  • Psalms 12:3

    The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:

Read all of Psalms 12

Psalms 12:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mentira habla cada uno con su prójimo; con labios lisonjeros, con corazón doble hablan.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Sauve, Éternel! car l’homme pieux n’est plus, car les fidèles ont disparu d’entre les fils des hommes.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Sie reden Falschheit, ein jeder mit seinem Nächsten; ihre Lippen schmeicheln, mit doppeltem Herzen reden sie.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		quamdiu ponam consilia in anima mea; dolorem in corde meo per diem?