His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.
Parallel translations
- WEB His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression. Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.
- BSB His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and violence; trouble and malice are under his tongue.
- ESV His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
- NKJV His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression; Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity.
- NASB His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression; Under his tongue is harm and injustice.
- NLT Their mouths are full of cursing, lies, and threats. Trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression, with malice under his tongue. Corrupt speech reveals a corrupt heart.
Overview
The psalmist describes speech overflowing with curses, lies, and threats. Paul cites this verse in Romans 3:14 as part of his indictment of universal human sinfulness. It shows that the tongue exposes the heart's true condition and that all stand in need of the righteousness God provides in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 26
- Ps 7:14Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.
- Ps 140:9As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.
- Ps 144:11Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood:
- Ps 64:3Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:
- Jas 3:6–8And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
- Ps 52:4Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.
- Job 20:12Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue;
- Jer 9:3And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.
- Ps 140:3They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.
- Ps 59:12For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.
- Ps 36:3The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.
- Ps 73:8They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.
- Ps 41:6And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it.
- Jer 9:6Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD.
- Matt 12:34O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
- Ps 62:4They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.
- Prov 21:6The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.
- Ps 55:21The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.
- Ps 58:3The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
- Ps 5:9For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.
- Rom 3:13–14Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
- Prov 30:8Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
- Isa 59:4None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.
- Job 15:35They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.
- Ps 12:2They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
- Ps 144:8Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 10:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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