Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?
Parallel translations
- WEB Behold, they spew with their mouth. Swords are in their lips, “For”, they say, “who hears us?”
- BSB See what they spew from their mouths—sharp words from their lips: “For who can hear us?”
- NKJV Indeed, they belch with their mouth; Swords are in their lips; For they say, “Who hears?”
- NASB Behold, they gush forth with their mouths; Swords are in their lips, For, they say, “Who hears?”
- NLT Listen to the filth that comes from their mouths; their words cut like swords. “After all, who can hear us?” they sneer.
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 wicked spew cutting words like swords, presuming no one hears them. It exposes their arrogant confidence that they will not be held to account.
Overview
David describes his enemies' speech as weapons and their attitude as defiant, imagining God neither hears nor cares. Their words betray a heart that denies divine accountability. Yet Scripture warns that God hears every word, and we will give account for them to the righteous Judge.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Ps 57:4My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
- Prov 15:2The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.
- Ps 10:11He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.
- Ps 73:11And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?
- Prov 12:18There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.
- 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 64:3–5Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:
- Ps 94:7–9Yet they say, The LORD shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.
- Ps 10:13Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.
- Prov 15:28The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.
- Jer 33:24Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the LORD hath chosen, he hath even cast them off? thus they have despised my people, that they should be no more a nation before them.
- 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.
- Job 22:12–13Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
- Ps 94:4How long shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves?
- Ps 109:2–3For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
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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 59:7 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
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.