Psalms 120:2 · Bible study
Psalms 120:2 Commentary: A Prayer for Rescue from Slander
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Psalm 120:2 study: The psalmist pleads for deliverance from lies and deceit.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A cry for rescue from the harm caused by false and deceptive speech, grounded in trust that God hears.
- Key words: נפש (nepesh, soul/self), שֶׁקֶר (sheqer, falsehood), רְמִיָּה (remiyah, deceit), נצל (natsal, to snatch away/deliver).
- Main debate: Whether the psalmist is a specific historical figure (David) or a representative of the righteous community, and whether the slander refers to internal or external enemies.
- Theological theme: God’s justice and faithfulness toward the innocent sufferer; the power of words and God’s ability to protect from them.
- Best use: A model prayer for Christians facing slander, false accusations, or gossip; can be prayed personally or used in corporate lament.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips and a deceitful tongue.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Deliver my soul, Yahweh, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.
KJV King James Version 1769
Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Deliver my soul, O Jehovah, from lying lips, Andfrom a deceitful tongue.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
O Jehovah, deliver my soul from a lying lip, From a deceitful tongue!
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Jehovah, deliver my soul from the lying lip, from the deceitful tongue.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
My help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Libra mi alma, oh Jehová, de labio mentiroso, de la lengua fraudulenta.
Ó SENHOR, livra minha alma dos lábios mentirosos, da língua enganadora.
Éternel, délivre mon âme de la lèvre mensongère,
HERR, errette meine Seele von den Lügenmäulern, von den falschen Zungen.
O HEERE! red mijn ziel van de valse lippen, van de bedriegelijke tong.
O Eterno, libera l’anima mia dalle labbra bugiarde, dalla lingua fraudolenta.
Wyzwól, Panie! duszę moję od warg kłamliwych, i od języka zdradliwego.
Помощь моя от Господа, сотворившего небо и землю.
耶和華啊，求你救 我 脫離說謊 的嘴唇 和詭詐 的舌頭！
O Lord, be the saviour of my soul from false lips, and from the tongue of deceit.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 120:2
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree this verse is a cry for rescue from the harm caused by slander and deceit. Adam Clarke describes the enemies as people without faith or truth, who seek to destroy by lies. Albert Barnes notes that David was often subjected to false accusations, and that the prayer expresses deep distress of the soul under such attack. John Calvin emphasizes that David asserts his innocence against false charges, and that this suffering is the common lot of the Church, even Christ himself endured slander. John Gill expands to include all forms of deceit, from false witnesses to Satan. The consensus is that the prayer rests on confidence that God hears and will answer (v. 1). The word 'soul' (נֶפֶשׁ, nepesh) points to the whole person, life, reputation, and inner peace, under threat. The imperative 'deliver' (הַצִּילָה, hiphil of נצל) is an urgent appeal to God as the only one who can snatch the psalmist from ruin.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The psalmist prays to God for rescue from false and deceitful speech, expressing confidence that God hears and will deliver.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the psalmist | The psalmist is a righteous person suffering under slander and deceit. | Some commentators (Calvin, Matthew Henry) identify him as David, seeing him as a type of Christ. Others (Keil, Lange) view it as a liturgical composition representing the nation Israel or the faithful community without a specific historical figure. |
| Nature of the enemies | The enemies use lies and deceit as weapons against the righteous. | Are they specific historical opponents (Saul’s court, foreign nations like Meshech and Kedar) or a general depiction of the wicked? Both readings are attested in the commentaries. |
| Meaning of 'deliver my soul' | The phrase asks God for rescue from harm caused by slander. | Barnes suggests it includes both physical danger to life and deep emotional/spiritual distress. Some emphasize the literal risk to reputation and safety; others stress the inner turmoil. |
| Interpretation of 'Song of Ascents' | It is a title for Psalms 120, 134, likely used in worship. | Lange lists several theories: sung by pilgrims going up to Jerusalem, referring to a climactic poetic structure, or to the fifteen steps of the temple. No single view commands universal agreement. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 120 opens the collection of fifteen 'Songs of Ascents' (Psalms 120, 134). These were likely sung by pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem for the three great festivals. The title has been interpreted in various ways: as referring to the physical ascent to the temple mount, to the return from Babylonian exile, or to a climactic poetic structure where key words repeat and advance (Keil & Delitzsch, Lange). The specific distress described in verse 2 arises from 'lying lips' and a 'deceitful tongue'. In ancient Israel, slander was not merely a social nuisance; it could destroy reputation, legal standing, and even life itself (Deuteronomy 19:16, 21). The psalmist’s reference to dwelling in Meshech and Kedar (v. 5) suggests he feels isolated among hostile foreign peoples, far from the safety of the covenant community. Cross-references like Psalm 52:2 ('Your tongue plots destruction') and Psalm 109:2 ('they have spoken to me with a lying tongue') show this theme throughout David’s experience. Whether the setting is David fleeing from Saul’s courtiers or later Israel surrounded by hostile neighbors, the prayer is concrete: the speaker’s life is endangered by words meant to deceive and destroy. The Song of Ascents context adds a layer of hope: the journey to God’s presence is the place where deliverance is sought.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries and lexical sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is well established across manuscripts. The only point of discussion is the pointing of ויענני in verse 1, which some read as past tense ('he answered me') and others as a future consequence ('he will answer me'; Keil & Delitzsch). This does not affect the text of verse 2 itself.
Reception History
Early church fathers such as Chrysostom and Theodoret interpreted Psalm 120 as referring to the Babylonian exile and the return of the people to Jerusalem (Lange). In the medieval period, the psalm was used in Christian liturgy as part of the gradual psalms, sung by pilgrims and during seasons of penance. Reformed commentators like Calvin and Matthew Henry read it as David’s personal complaint, with Henry seeing David as a type of Christ enduring false accusations. The psalm continues to be prayed by Christians who suffer slander, and its placement among the Songs of Ascents reminds the church that the journey to God’s presence includes honest lament and trust in his deliverance.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Reality of Slander, The psalmist names his affliction: 'lying lips' and a 'deceitful tongue.' These are not abstract; they are weapons that wound the soul. Slander is a real trial that can come upon anyone without warning (Barnes).
- The Cry for Deliverance, The prayer is direct and urgent: 'Deliver my soul, Yahweh.' It confesses inability to save oneself and casts the burden on God alone.
- The Confidence in God’s Justice, The prayer is rooted in past experience (v. 1: 'He answered me'). The psalmist trusts that God sees the truth and will act, even when human courts or opinions fail.
Five-point outline
- Distress from deceptive speech, the pain of being misrepresented.
- The specific enemy: 'lying lips' and a 'deceitful tongue', parallelism emphasizing falsehood as the weapon.
- Appeal to Yahweh by name, the covenant God who is faithful to his people.
- Rescue required for the whole person ('soul'), not just physical safety but reputation and inner peace.
- The foundation of answered prayer, verse 1 assures that God hears; the petition of verse 2 stands on that history.
Illustration hooks
- A workplace rumor that damages a colleague’s career, the slow poison of half-truths.
- A social media post that twists someone’s words and goes viral, the speed and reach of a deceitful tongue.
- A family member who spreads private matters to others, breaking trust, the ache of betrayal close to home.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I respond when people lie about me, especially if the lies affect my reputation or livelihood?
- Does God care about my reputation, or should I just ignore false accusations?
- How can I pray for justice without becoming bitter or vengeful toward those who slander me?
Leading a Discussion
This verse is the heart of a pilgrim’s prayer. The psalmist is surrounded by people who use words to deceive and destroy. He does not retaliate; he cries out to God. As you discuss, notice the emotional honesty and the trust beneath the plea.
Discussion questions
- What situations in your life have made you want to pray this verse?
- The psalmist asks to be delivered from 'lying lips' and a 'deceitful tongue.' What kinds of harm can words cause that physical violence cannot?
- Why does the psalmist address God as 'Yahweh' here? What does that name promise?
- The word translated 'soul' (נֶפֶשׁ) means the whole living being. What does it tell us that the psalmist asks for his whole self to be rescued from slander?
- How does verse 1 ('He answered me') shape the way we read verse 2? What does it teach about prayer?
- In what ways can the community of faith be a place of refuge for those who have been slandered?
- How might praying this psalm change the way you respond when you are misrepresented or lied about?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Psalms 35:11 | Unrighteous witnesses rise up. They ask me about things that I don’t know about. |
| Psalms 52:2 | Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. |
| Psalms 52:4 | You love all devouring words, you deceitful tongue. |
| Psalms 109:1 | For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. God of my praise, don’t remain silent, |
| Psalms 109:2 | for they have opened the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit against me. They have spoken to me with a lying tongue. |
| Psalms 140:1 | For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. Deliver me, Yahweh, from evil men. Preserve me from violent men: |
| Psalms 140:3 | They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent. Viper’s poison is under their lips. Selah. |
| Proverbs 12:22 | Lying lips are an abomination to Yahweh, but those who do the truth are his delight. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue - From a people without faith, without truth, without religion; who sought by lies and calumnies to destroy them.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes observes that slander and deceit strike a person as unpredictably as a fog rolling in from the sea; no one can fully guard against them or guarantee that every promise made to them will be kept. For David, this distress affected his entire soul, and the only help he could turn to was the Lord.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that David is not complaining about general hardship but specifically about false accusations, asserting his own innocence. This experience of being slandered without cause is the common lot of the whole Church, since lying tongues did not spare even the Son of God.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator sees the prayer's urgency and condemnation's harshness as aimed at a specific person or party, not a general enemy. This group stirs conflict in the community through slander and false accusations, stubbornly blocking every attempt to restore peace.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Deliuer my soule, O Lord, from lying lippes, and from a deceitfull tongue.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB observes that the very charge of slander and deceit against the psalmist's enemies serves to imply his own innocence. The mention of the tongue points back to the destructive speech described earlier in the psalm.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads this psalm as a symbolic portrayal of the believer's experience among hostile people, not tied to a specific historical event. He views the names Mesech and Kedar as figurative designations for rude, warlike companions rather than literal distant tribes. The psalmist's plea for peace highlights the painful contrast between his own longing for peace and the unrelenting hostility around him.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry distinguishes two ways lying lips distressed David: flattering promises designed to trap him, and false accusations meant to destroy his reputation. He notes that the most dangerous enemies are those who smile in friendship while plotting harm, and that David's experience here prefigured Christ.