Psalms 31:18

Psa 31:18 Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

Ver. 18. Let the lying lips be put to silence] Heb. the lips of a lie, mendaciorum artifices, as Jer 9:3; Jer 9:5. Among the Persians it was αιχιστον το φευδεσθαι, held a base shame to tell a lie. Oh that it were so among Christians! When shall that golden age return, that the argument may again proceed, Sacerdos est, non fallet; Christianus est, non mentietur; He is a minister, he will not deceive; he is a Christian, therefore he will not lie? (Herod. in Clio; Xenoph. Cyroep.; Strab. lib. 15).

Which speak grievous things] Heb. a hard thing; dura et atr ociaverba, durable and longlasting reproaches, such as stick, and leave a scar, though the wound be healed up. Calumniare audacter, aliquid saltem adhaerebit. Such mouths shall one day smoke for it, Jdg 1:15.

Proudly and contemptuously] Heb. In pride and contempt. It is pride that causeth contempt of others. Compare Pro 3:34 1Pe 5:5. David elsewhere complaineth of proud, rhetorical mockers.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Psa_31:18

Let the lying lips be put to silence, which cruelly, disdainfully, and, maliciously, speak against the righteous.

On scepticism

To neglect those popular calumnies which are in circulation against any system either moral, religious, or political, is rather magnanimous than wise, and savours more of a generous contempt for danger than of prudent precaution against it. Bold assertions, and specious invectives often repeated, begin at last to be credited. There is too, besides, a fashion in thinking as in everything else, and the giddy part of mankind must ever appear in the newest philosophy. It is important, therefore, to mark the modes of thinking of the time, and especially those which are aimed against the Christian faith. It is a leading object with sceptics to bring this into disrepute. And they seek so to do by charging Christians with intolerance, bigotry, and narrowness of mind. The opposite virtues, candour, liberality, and freedom from prejudice, they claim for themselves. And the young are much attracted by such professions, as it is natural they should be. Their vanity, also,--desire of notoriety, and their impatience, help the evil; soon they parade their disbelief, and sink into a state of complete scepticism. All this is very sad. A young man standing on the threshold of life, and just going into all the business of the world, with a heart in which every principle of right and wrong is thoroughly shaken and impaired! If not destined for great offices in public life, yet he is a brother, a son, a friend; he is to be a husband, and a father of children; some must trust him, and some must love him. Call it bigotry, and cover these notions with mockery and derision; but I say it would be better for this young man that the work of death were going on within him, that the strength and the roses of his youth were fading away, and that he were wasting down to the tombs of his ancestors, wept by his friends, and pitied by the world. Therefore let us examine the foundations of such scepticism. I speak not of all who disbelieve in Christianity, but of those who presume to look down upon Christians with anger and contempt. The fact is, disbelief not only in Christianity but in Providence is becoming general, and men are giving up all the wholesome restraints of religion. These are the dangers which now threaten us. We need not fear that we shall be manacled again by superstition, but that the golden chain which reaches from heaven to earth should be broken asunder, and not one link of it again be found. The infidel clings as tenaciously to what he denies, as the religionist does to what he affirms;--arm him with power, will he be more tolerant?--will he suffer you to build temples? to pray openly to your God, and to insult his doubts with the profession of a faith, which, in the deep wickedness of his heart, lie judges to be the consummation of all absurdity?--Toleration is the creature of benevolence and of wisdom; what have the shallow sneers and scoffings of infidelity to do with this Heavenly forbearance? do not be mocked by such idle pretensions; if atheism ever rears its head among men, piety will mourn and bleed. Let us be thankful, therefore, for that small but invaluable class of men who, sincerely loving truth, and pursuing it with exquisite tact and skill, will even resist the wild unbelief of the day. Against ignorant and evil men they will steadily strive, and they will exert all their authority to put to silence the lips which cruelly, disdainfully, and despitefully, speak against the righteous. (Sydney Smith, M. A.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Psa 31:18. Let the lying lips — The slanderous tongues; be put to silence — Either by thy discovery and vindication of my integrity; or by some imminent judgment, which may either convince them, or take them off. Which speak grievous things — Hebrews עתק, gnatak, what is hard, or hard things, the singular number being put for the plural; he means such things as were grievous and hard to be borne, such as bitter calumnies, cruel mockings, terrible threatenings, and the like. Proudly and contemptuously — With great arrogance, and confidence of success, and contempt of me and my friends, whom they look upon as few in number, and impotent fugitives, and such as they can blow away with their breath; against the righteous — Against us, whom thou knowest to be righteous, notwithstanding all their false accusations, and therefore for thy love of righteousness save us, and silence our unjust enemies.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

19. (Psa 31:18). Struck dumb be the lips of lying, the (lips) speaking against a righteous (man), insolently in pride and scorn. This wish has special reference to the slanders mentioned in Psa 31:14 (13).—Insolently, literally insolent, that which is insolent, or as an abstract, insolence, audacity.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 18. Let the lying lips be put to silence] As to my enemies, persecutors, and slanderers, abate their pride, assuage their malice, and confound their devices. See Jer 18:18.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(18) Silence.—As a different word is used from that rendered silent in Psa_31:17, translate let the lying lips be made dumb.

Grievous.—Better, arrogant, as in 1Sa_2:3. (Comp. Psa_94:4.) So in Psa_75:5, “a stiff neck” is a neck thrown impudently back.

Proudly and contemptuously.—Literally, in pride and contempt.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18. Let the lying lips be dumb;

Which speak against the righteous arrogantly,

In pride and contempt.

Cp. Psa_12:3; Psa_94:4.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Let the lying lips be put to silence,.... Being convicted of the lies told by them, and so silenced and confounded; or being cut off and destroyed, as all such will be in the Lord's own time, Psa 12:3. It is very likely the psalmist may have respect either to Doeg the Edomite, who loved lying rather than righteousness; or to others that were about Saul, who lying said to him that David sought his harm, even to take away his kingdom and his life, Psa 52:3;

which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous; meaning himself; not that he thought himself righteous in the sight of God by any righteousness of his own, but by the righteousness of Christ imputed to him; see Psa 143:2. Though he may have regard here to the righteousness of his cause before men, and assert himself righteous, as he might with respect to the "grievous things", the hard and lying speeches, which were spoken against him, in a proud, haughty, and contemptuous manner. And it is no unusual thing for such false charges to be brought against righteous men; nay, such hard speeches were spoken by ungodly men against Jesus Christ the righteous himself, Jde 1:15. The Targum interprets it of "reproaches".

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Let the lying lips be put to silence - See the notes at Psa 12:2-3. The lips which speak lies. The reference here is especially to those who had spoken in this manner against the psalmist himself, though he makes the language general, or prays in general that God would silence all liars: a prayer certainly in which all persons may properly join.

Which speak grievous things - Margin, “a hard thing.” The Hebrew word - עתק ‛âthâq - means “bold, impudent, wicked.” Gesenius, Lexicon. The phrase here means, therefore, to speak wickedly, or to speak in a bold, reckless, impudent manner; that is, without regard to the truth of what is said.

Proudly and contemptuously - Hebrew, in pride and contempt: that is, in a manner which shows that they are proud of themselves and despise others. Slander always perhaps implies this. People are secretly proud of themselves; or they “desire” to cherish an exalted opinion of themselves, and to have others entertain the same opinion of them; and hence, if they cannot exalt themselves by their own merit, as they wish, they endeavor to humble others below their real merit, and to a level lower than themselves, by detraction.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Lying lips; slanderous tongues. Be put to silence, either by thy vindication and discovery of my integrity; or by some eminent judgment, which may either convince them, or cut them off.

Grievous things, Heb. hard words, or things, the singular number being put for the plural. Of this expression, see 1Sa 2:3; Psa 60:3; 94:4; Jude 15. He means such as were grievous, and hard to be borne, as bitter calumnies, cruel mockings, terrible threatenings, and the like.

Proudly and contemptuously; with great arrogancy, and confidence of success, and contempt of me and mine, whom they look upon as few in number, and impotent and fugitives, and such whom they can blow away with a breath.

Against the righteous; against us, whom thou knowest to be righteous, notwithstanding all their false accusations; and therefore for thy love to righteousness save us, and silence our unjust enemies.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ver. 18. Let the lying lips be put to silence. A right good and Christian prayer; who but a bad man would give liars more license than need be? May God silence them either by leading them to repentance, by putting them to thorough shame, or by placing them in positions where what they may say will stand for nothing. Which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous. The sin of slanderers lies partly in the matter of their speech; "they speak grievous things; "things cutting deep into the feelings of good men, and wounding them sorely in that tender placetheir reputations. The sin is further enhanced by the manner of their speech; they speak proudly and contemptuously; they talk as if they themselves were the cream of society, and the righteous the mere scum of vulgarity. Proud thoughts of self are generally attended by debasing estimates of others. The more room we take up ourselves, the less we can afford our neighbours. What wickedness it is that unworthy characters should always be the loudest in railing at good men! They have no power to appreciate moral worth of which they are utterly destitute, and yet they have the effrontery to mount the judgment seat, and judge the men compared with whom they are as so much chaff. Holy indignation may well prompt us to desire anything which may rid the world of such unbearable impertinence and detestable arrogance.

Ver. 18. Lying lips...which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous. The primitive persecutors slighted the Christians for a company of bad, illiterate fellows, and therefore they used to paint the God of the Christians with an ass's head and a book in his hand, saith Tertullian; to signify, that though they pretended learning, yet they were silly and ignorant people. Bishop Jewel, in his sermon upon Lu 11:15, cites this out of Tertullian and applies it to his times. Do not our adversaries the like, saith he, against all that profess the gospel? Oh! say they, who are those that favour this way? None but shoemakers, tailors, weavers, and such as never were at the University. These are the bishop's own words. Bishop White said in open court, that the Puritans were all a company of blockheads. Charles Bradbury.

Ver. 18. Lying lips...which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous. In that venerable and original monument of the Vaudois Church, entitled "The Golden Lesson, " of the date 1100, we meet with a verse, which has been thus translated:

"If there be anyone who loves and fears Jesus Christ,

Who will not curse, nor swear, nor lie,

Nor be unchaste, nor kill, nor take what is another's.

Nor take vengeance on his enemies;

They say that he is a Vaudes, and worthy of punishment."

Antoine Monastier, in "A History of Vaudois Church, "1859.

None.

Psalms 31:19*

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

18. Lying lips be put to silence— “Silence,” here, is a different word from that so rendered in Psa_31:17, and means tongue-tied, dumb, bound.

Proudly and contemptuously—Contemptuous of all restraint by the laws of God or man.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Let the lying lips be put to silence, which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous; rather, which speak arrogancy. (comp. 1Sa_2:3) The pride and insolence of David"s enemies is strongly noted in the Second Book of Samuel. (see 2Sa_16:7, 8 17:1-3)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

let me not be shamed because I called out to You Since I called You, it is not fitting that I should be shamed.

let them be silenced to the grave Heb. ידמו, let them be silenced and made dumb to die.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.