Psalm 12

Commonplace –

“Help, Lord” (Psalm 12:1a).

Petition

The situation is dire. David cries out, “Help, Lord” (v.1.). He lays before the Lord his charge against the wicked.

1. They speak vanity with flattering lips.
2. They speak with a double heart.
3. They speak with pride and boasting.

Grounds for Petition

David details the situation resulting from the evil actions of the wicked.

1. godly men cease
2. the faithful fail

Justification

David asks God to keep and preserve the godly from the wicked. He quotes God’s own words back to him:

“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” (Psalm 12:5).

Further, David compares God’s words to the vain words of the wicked. God’s words are “pure words; as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times” (v.6). Therefore, God’s words are more than enough evidence to support the petition for God’s intercession on behalf of the godly.

Remembering and Reminding

David reassures himself and the reader that God will resolve this situation and the godly will prevail: “Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever” (Psalm 12:7). Remembering this brings peace in the midst of troubling circumstances. Reminding the reader of this is a help in times of trouble.

Warning

The psalm closes with a warning, “The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted” (Psalm 12:8). Again, this is written for David and the reader. If vile men are elevated in a society, the wicked proliferate. It is our responsibility to be on guard against this, refrain from participating in anything that encourages the increase in wickedness, and to pray faithfully against it happening.

Here is an excerpt of Matthew Henry’s summary of Psalm 12.

“It is supposed that David penned this psalm in Saul’s reign, when there was a general decay of honesty and piety both in court and country, which he here complains of to God, and very feelingly, for he himself suffered by the treachery of false friends and the insolence of sworn enemies” (227).

Works Cited

Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 12.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

© 2025 Angela Hormberg