Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?
Parallel translations
- WEB who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail. Our lips are our own. Who is lord over us?”
- BSB They say, “With our tongues we will prevail. We own our lips—who can be our master?”
- NKJV Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; Who is lord over us?”
- NASB Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?”
- NLT They say, “We will lie to our hearts’ content. Our lips are our own—who can stop us?”
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
The proud boast that their tongues will prevail and answer to no master. Sinful pride claims autonomy from God.
Overview
David exposes the boast of the wicked who treat their speech as their own weapon and deny any lord over them. This is the essence of rebellion: refusing God's authority over one's words and life. Such defiance directly provokes the Lord's response of deliverance and justice in the next verse.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Jas 3:5–6Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
- 2 Th 2:4Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
- Job 21:14–15Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.
- Exod 5:2And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.
- Jer 18:18Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.
- Dan 3:15Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
- Gen 3:5For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
- Jer 2:31O generation, see ye the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? wherefore say my people, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 12:4 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.