Commonplace –
“Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue” (Psalm 120:2).
Matthew Henry points out the two ways those liars around David could have employed their lies:
- “By telling lies to him” (Vol 3 592).
- In this case, Henry comments, ” The most dangerous enemies, and those which it is most hard to guard against, are such as carry on their malicious designs under the colour of friendship. The Lord deliver every good man from lying lips” (Vol 3 592).
- “By telling lies of him” (Vol 3 592).
- Here Henry notes, “This has often been the lot not only of the innocent, but of the excellent ones, of the earth, who have been greatly distressed by lying lips, and have not only had their names blackened and made odious by calumnies in conversation, but their lives, and all that is dear to them in this world, endangered by false-witness-bearing in judgment” (Vol 3 592).
It’s worthwhile to consider that David, a mighty soldier, complains of lying and the great distress it has brought upon him. A sword is visible, and the one who wields it is visible to his victim. A tongue is like a snake in a cave, it attacks under the cover of darkness. As James pointed out:
“Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are turned about with a very small helm, withersoever the governor listeth.
Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity, so is the tongue amoung our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Therewith we bless God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethern, these things ought not so to be” (James 3:4-10).
While we cannot control the lying tongues of others, we, ourselves, can choose to heed James’ advice. Matthew Henry notes the following list of five admonishments we glean from the words of James:
- “We are therefore taught not to use our tongues so as to lord it over others” (Vol 6 792).
- “We are taught to govern our tongue so as to prove ourselves perfect and upright men, and such as have an entire government of ourselves” (Vol 6 793).
- “We are taught to dread an unruly tongue as one of the greatest and most pernicious evils” (Vol 6 793).
- “We are next taught how very difficult a thing it is to govern the tongue” (Vol 6 793).
- “We are taught to think of the use we make of our tongues in religion and in the service of God, and by such a consideration to keep it from cursing, censuring, and everything that is evil on other occasions” (Vol 6 794).
Works Cited
Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 120.” 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
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