For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.
Parallel translations
- WEB For there is no faithfulness in their mouth. Their heart is destruction. Their throat is an open tomb. They flatter with their tongue.
- BSB For not a word they speak can be trusted; destruction lies within them. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.
- NKJV For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; Their inward part is destruction; Their throat is an open tomb; They flatter with their tongue.
- NASB For there is nothing trustworthy in their mouth; Their inward part is destruction itself. Their throat is an open grave; They flatter with their tongue.
- NLT My enemies cannot speak a truthful word. Their deepest desire is to destroy others. Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with flattery.
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
David describes the corruption of his enemies, whose words are deadly and deceitful. Their flattering speech masks destructive hearts.
Overview
David exposes the unreliability and ruin within his enemies: no truth in their mouths, hearts bent on destruction, throats like open graves. Paul gathers this verse into his indictment of universal human sinfulness (Romans 3:13). It reminds us that apart from grace, the corruption David sees in his foes marks every fallen heart and drives us to the cleansing only Christ provides.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 21
- Jer 9:3–6And 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.
- Rom 3:13Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
- 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.
- Mic 6:12For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
- Prov 29:5A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet.
- Luke 11:44Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
- Ps 52:2Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
- Ps 51:6Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
- Ps 64:6They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.
- Jer 17:9The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
- Ps 12:2–3They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
- Job 32:21–22Let me not, I pray you, accept any man’s person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man.
- Ps 36:1–4The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
- Ps 58:2–3Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.
- Ps 111:1–3Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.
- Mark 7:21–22For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
- Rom 1:29–31Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
- Ps 62:9Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.
- Jer 4:14O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?
- Luke 11:39And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.
- 1 Th 2:5For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:
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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 5:9 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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