Psalm 12 Jan. 5 For the Chief Musician; upon an eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm of David.  1Help, Yahweh; for the Godly man is fading away, the faithful fail from among the children of men. 2Everyone lies to his neighbour, they speak with flattering lips, and with a double heart. 3May Yahweh cut off all flattering lips and the tongue that speaks great things, 4who have said, With our tongue we will prevail. Our lips are our own, who is lord over us? 5Because of the oppression of the weak and because of the groaning of the needy, I will now arise, says Yahweh; I will set him in safety from those who malign him. 6The words of Yahweh are flawless words, as silver refined in a clay furnace, purified seven times. 7You will keep them, Yahweh. You will preserve them from this generation forever. 8The wicked walk on every side, when what is vile is exalted among the sons of men.   

Commentary

12:3 This verse is alluded to in James 3:5 which speaks of the tongue being such a small part of the body and yet boasting great things, having spiritual effect far out of proportion to its size; James 1:8 and 4:8 also use the idea of double mindedness being reflected in our words. Note how the tongue is here put for the person- for God will cut off wicked speaking persons, rather than excise tongues from mouths. Our words really are to be identified with us; we needn’t think that we can get away with being one person within and yet projecting a quite different image through carefully calculated words.