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For the sin of their mouth, and the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride, for the curses and lies which they utter.
Psalms 59:12 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV For 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.
  • BSB By the sins of their mouths and the words of their lips, let them be trapped in their pride, in the curses and lies they utter.
  • NKJV For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, Let them even be taken in their pride, And for the cursing and lying which they speak.
  • NASB On account of the sin of their mouths and the words of their lips, May they even be caught in their pride, And on account of curses and lies which they tell.
  • NLT Because of the sinful things they say, because of the evil that is on their lips, let them be captured by their pride, their curses, and their lies.

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 asks that the wicked be ensnared by their own proud, lying words. Their sins of speech become the means of their judgment.

Overview

David prays that the curses and lies of his enemies trap them in their own pride. This reflects the biblical principle that the wicked are often caught in the very nets they set. God's justice fittingly turns sin back upon the sinner who refuses to repent.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 17

  • Prov 12:13An evil man is trapped by sinfulness of lips, but the righteous shall come out of trouble.
  • Hos 4:2There is cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break boundaries, and bloodshed causes bloodshed.
  • Prov 18:7A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are a snare to his soul.
  • Ps 10:7His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression. Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.
  • Matt 12:36–37I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
  • Ps 10:2In arrogance, the wicked hunt down the weak. They are caught in the schemes that they devise.
  • Ps 120:3–4What will be given to you, and what will be done more to you, you deceitful tongue?
  • Ps 79:12Pay back to our neighbors seven times into their bosom their reproach with which they have reproached you, Lord.
  • Matt 27:63saying, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise again.’
  • Prov 11:6The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them, but the unfaithful will be trapped by evil desires.
  • Matt 27:25All the people answered, “May his blood be on us, and on our children!”
  • Prov 6:2You are trapped by the words of your mouth. You are ensnared with the words of your mouth.
  • Zeph 3:11In that day you will not be disappointed for all your doings, in which you have transgressed against me; for then I will take away out from among you your proudly exulting ones, and you will no more be haughty in my holy mountain.
  • Luke 23:5But they insisted, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee even to this place.”
  • Ps 109:17–18Yes, he loved cursing, and it came to him. He didn’t delight in blessing, and it was far from him.
  • Ps 64:7–8But God will shoot at them. They will be suddenly struck down with an arrow.
  • Ps 140:9–10As for the head of those who surround me, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

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 59:12YouTube · 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 59:12 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.