| Psalm 12 | |
| Subtitle: | "Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth" |
| Type: | Psalm of lament |
| Image Upright: | 1.2 |
| Other Name: |
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| Language: | Hebrew (original) |
Psalm 12 is the twelfth psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men." In the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate, it is psalm 11 in a slightly different numbering, "Salvum me fac".[1] Its authorship is traditionally assigned to King David.[2]
The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. It was set to music by composers including Johann Sebastian Bach.
The following table shows the Hebrew text[3] [4] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).
| Verse | Hebrew | English translation (JPS 1917) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | For the Leader; on the Sheminith. A Psalm of David. | |
| 2 | Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; For the faithful fail from among the children of men. | |
| 3 | They speak falsehood every one with his neighbour; With flattering lip, and with a double heart, do they speak. | |
| 4 | May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, The tongue that speaketh proud things! | |
| 5 | Who have said: 'Our tongue will we make mighty; Our lips are with us: who is lord over us?' | |
| 6 | 'For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, Now will I arise', saith the LORD; 'I will set him in safety at whom they puff.' . | |
| 7 | The words of the LORD are pure words, As silver tried in a crucible on the earth, refined seven times. | |
| 8 | Thou wilt keep them, O LORD; Thou wilt preserve us from this generation for ever. | |
| 9 | The wicked walk on every side, When vileness is exalted among the sons of men. | |
There is a cry for help amidst evil men: God will cut off flattering lips. Charles Spurgeon vividly describes the finality saying
An answer to the cry for help comes: God will arise and defend the poor. Many writers have pointed out that it is not at all clear where God said "Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise". Some suggested some special revelation possibly through David himself, as David claimed "The spirit of God spoke through me" in 2 Samuel 23:2. Other possibilities include Isaiah 33:10, "I will arise", in the context of a greater salvation for Israel, or arising for judgement as in Genesis 18:20-21, where the Lord got up and went down to Sodom because of cries of oppression.[5]
Hope in God's promise that "I will arise and defend the poor" is bolstered by a reminder that God's word is like silver that was purified over and over even 7 times. That help will be apparently deferred in Psalm 13 with cries of 'How long?' David himself, in his final Psalm of blessing for Solomon, urges Solomon to also defend the poor in Psalm 72:4 emulating God.[6]
Man's sinful state is a theme and like the two psalms before it, Psalm 12 ends with an uncomplimentary statement about fallen men in verse 8. The godly man ceases in psalm 12:1, sinful remain in Psalm 14:1-4 [7]
The reformation theologian John Calvin, in his commentary on this psalm, interprets the passage as referring to the truthfulness of God in contrast to humanity, saying that the elaboration of God's actions in the psalm reflect promises God had made with the Israelites.[8]
The genre of the psalm is unclear.[9] sees in it most as the "prophetic action liturgy". Hermann Gunkel also speaks of the Psalm as "liturgy".[10] Here "liturgy" means the intention of the performance was for changing voices was in the service.[11]
Gunkel divides the psalm as follows:[12]
This psalm is recited on Shmini Atzeret[13] and at a brit milah.
According to the Rule of St. Benedict (530 AD), Psalm 1 to Psalm 20 were mainly reserved for the office of Prime. This Psalm, 11, was recited or sung at Prime on Wednesdays.[14] A number of monasteries still respect this tradition. In the Liturgy of the Hours, Psalm 12 is now recited on Tuesdays of the first week during the midday office.[15]
In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the evening of the second day of the month.[16]
In 1523, Martin Luther paraphrased Psalm 12 in a hymn, "Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein". Heinrich Schütz wrote a setting of it, SWV 108, for the Becker Psalter, published first in 1628. Johann Sebastian Bach wrote a cantata about it, Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein, BWV 2 in Leipzig in 1724.