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Deliver my soul, Yahweh, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.
Psalms 120:2 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.
  • BSB Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips and a deceitful tongue.
  • NKJV Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips And from a deceitful tongue.
  • NASB Rescue my soul, Lord, from lying lips, From a deceitful tongue.
  • NLT Rescue me, O Lord, from liars and from all deceitful people.

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

He prays for deliverance from lying lips and a deceitful tongue. Slander and deceit are real dangers from which only God can rescue.

Overview

The psalmist's chief affliction is the destructive speech of others, 'lying lips' and a 'deceitful tongue.' He turns not to revenge but to God for rescue. This honest plea reminds us that words wound deeply, and it points to Christ, who though slandered entrusted Himself to the God who judges justly.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 6

  • Ps 140:1–3For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. Deliver me, Yahweh, from the evil man. Preserve me from the violent man;
  • Prov 12:22Lying lips are an abomination to Yahweh, but those who do the truth are his delight.
  • Ps 109:1–2For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. God of my praise, don’t remain silent,
  • Ps 52:2–4Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
  • Matt 26:59–62Now the chief priests, the elders, and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus, that they might put him to death;
  • Ps 35:11Unrighteous witnesses rise up. They ask me about things that I don’t know about.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Psalms videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Psalms 120:2YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on PsalmsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 120:2 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.