| Psalm 12 | |
|---|---|
| "Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth" | |
| Psalm of lament | |
Psalm 12 in the 17th-century Elsevier bible
| |
| Other name |
|
| Language | Hebrew (original) |
| Psalm 12 | |
|---|---|
← Psalm 11 Psalm 13 → | |
| Book | Book of Psalms |
| Hebrew Bible part | Ketuvim |
| Order in the Hebrew part | 1 |
| Category | Sifrei Emet |
| Christian Bible part | Old Testament |
| Order in the Christian part | 19 |
Psalm 12 is the twelfth psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men." In the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate, it is psalm 11 in a slightly different numbering, "Salvum me fac".[1] Its authorship is traditionally assigned to King David.[2]
The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. It was set to music by composers including Johann Sebastian Bach.
The following table shows the Hebrew text[3][4] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).
| Verse | Hebrew | English translation (JPS 1917) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ עַֽל־הַשְּׁמִינִ֗ית מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃ | For the Leader; on the Sheminith. A Psalm of David. |
| 2 | הוֹשִׁ֣יעָה יְ֭הֹוָה כִּֽי־גָמַ֣ר חָסִ֑יד כִּי־פַ֥סּוּ אֱ֝מוּנִ֗ים מִבְּנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃ | Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; For the faithful fail from among the children of men. |
| 3 | שָׁ֤וְא ׀ יְֽדַבְּרוּ֮ אִ֤ישׁ אֶת־רֵ֫עֵ֥הוּ שְׂפַ֥ת חֲלָק֑וֹת בְּלֵ֖ב וָלֵ֣ב יְדַבֵּֽרוּ׃ | They speak falsehood every one with his neighbour; With flattering lip, and with a double heart, do they speak. |
| 4 | יַכְרֵ֣ת יְ֭הֹוָה כׇּל־שִׂפְתֵ֣י חֲלָק֑וֹת לָ֝שׁ֗וֹן מְדַבֶּ֥רֶת גְּדֹלֽוֹת׃ | May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, The tongue that speaketh proud things! |
| 5 | אֲשֶׁ֤ר אָמְר֨וּ ׀ לִלְשֹׁנֵ֣נוּ נַ֭גְבִּיר שְׂפָתֵ֣ינוּ אִתָּ֑נוּ מִ֖י אָד֣וֹן לָֽנוּ׃ | Who have said: 'Our tongue will we make mighty; Our lips are with us: who is lord over us?' |
| 6 | מִשֹּׁ֥ד עֲנִיִּים֮ מֵאֶנְקַ֢ת אֶבְי֫וֹנִ֥ים עַתָּ֣ה אָ֭קוּם יֹאמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֑ה אָשִׁ֥ית בְּ֝יֵ֗שַׁע יָפִ֥יחַֽ־לֽוֹ׃ | '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 at whom they puff.' . |
| 7 | אִ֥מְר֣וֹת יְהֹוָה֮ אֲמָר֢וֹת טְהֹ֫ר֥וֹת כֶּ֣סֶף צָ֭רוּף בַּעֲלִ֣יל לָאָ֑רֶץ מְ֝זֻקָּ֗ק שִׁבְעָתָֽיִם׃ | The words of the LORD are pure words, As silver tried in a crucible on the earth, refined seven times. |
| 8 | אַתָּֽה־יְהֹוָ֥ה תִּשְׁמְרֵ֑ם תִּצְּרֶ֓נּוּ ׀ מִן־הַדּ֖וֹר ז֣וּ לְעוֹלָֽם׃ | Thou wilt keep them, O LORD; Thou wilt preserve us from this generation for ever. |
| 9 | סָבִ֗יב רְשָׁעִ֥ים יִתְהַלָּכ֑וּן כְּרֻ֥ם זֻ֝לּ֗וּת לִבְנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃ | The wicked walk on every side, When vileness is exalted among the sons of men. |
There is a cry for help amidst evil men: God will cut off flattering lips. Charles Spurgeon vividly describes the finality saying
They will not be able to continue speaking falsely and proudly for over;
a shovelful of earth from the grave-digger’s spade will silence them,
and a terrible display of God’s justice will make them speechless for ever.[5]
An answer to the cry for help comes: God will arise and defend the poor. Many writers have pointed out that it is not at all clear where God said "Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise". Some suggested some special revelation possibly through David himself, as David claimed "The spirit of God spoke through me" in 2 Samuel 23:2. Other possibilities include Isaiah 33:10, "I will arise", in the context of a greater salvation for Israel, or arising for judgement as in Genesis 18:20-21, where the Lord got up and went down to Sodom because of cries of oppression.[6]
Hope in God's promise that "I will arise and defend the poor" is bolstered by a reminder that God's word is like silver that was purified over and over even 7 times. That help will be apparently deferred in Psalm 13 with cries of 'How long?' David himself, in his final Psalm of blessing for Solomon, urges Solomon to also defend the poor in Psalm 72:4 emulating God.[7]
Man's sinful state is a theme and like the two psalms before it, Psalm 12 ends with an uncomplimentary statement about fallen men in verse 8. The godly man ceases in psalm 12:1, sinful remain in Psalm 14:1-4 [8]
The reformation theologian John Calvin, in his commentary on this psalm, interprets the passage as referring to the truthfulness of God in contrast to humanity, saying that the elaboration of God's actions in the psalm reflect promises God had made with the Israelites.[9]
The genre of the psalm is unclear.[10] Jörg Jeremias [de] sees in it most as the "prophetic action liturgy". Hermann Gunkel also speaks of the Psalm as "liturgy".[11] Here "liturgy" means the intention of the performance was for changing voices was in the service.[12]
Gunkel divides the psalm as follows:[13]
This psalm is recited on Shmini Atzeret[14] and at a brit milah.[14]
According to the Rule of St. Benedict (530 AD), Psalm 1toPsalm 20 were mainly reserved for the office of Prime. This Psalm, 11, was recited or sung at Prime on Wednesdays.[15] A number of monasteries still respect this tradition. In the Liturgy of the Hours, Psalm 12 is now recited on Tuesdays of the first week during the midday office.[16]
In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the evening of the second day of the month.[17]
In 1523, Martin Luther paraphrased Psalm 12 in a hymn, "Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein". Heinrich Schütz wrote a setting of it, SWV 108, for the Becker Psalter, published first in 1628. Johann Sebastian Bach wrote a cantata about it, Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein, BWV 2 in Leipzig in 1724.
