Psalms 12:7

_THOU SHALT KEEP THEM, O LORD, THOU SHALT PRESERVE THEM FROM THIS GENERATION FOR EVER._ Thou shalt keep them, O Lord - namely, thy people in safety from their persecutors. FROM THIS GENERATION. The corruption was so universal (Psalms 12:1) that the ungodly represent the spirit of the age "from" which the Lord would "preserve" His own chosen few. Compare Galatians 1:4; 1 John 5:19....

7._Thou, O Jehovah. _Some think that the language of the Psalmist here is that of renewed prayer; and they, therefore, understand the words as expressive of his desire, and translate them in the optative mood, thus, _Do thou, O Jehovah, keep them _(266) But I am rather of opinion that David, animated with holy confidence, boasts of the certain safety of all the godly, of whom God, who neither can deceive nor lie, avows himself to be the guardian. At the same time, I do not altogether disapprove of the interpretation which views David as renewing his supplications at the throne of grace. Some give this exposition of the passage, _Thou wilt keep them, _namely, _thy words; _(267) but this does not seem to me to be suitable. (268) David, I have no doubt, returns to speak of the poor, of whom he had spoken in the preceding part of

Verse Psalms 12:7. _THOU SHALT KEEP THEM - THOU SHALT PRESERVE THEM_] Instead of the pronoun _them_ in these clauses, several MSS., with the _Septuagint_, the _Vulgate_, and the _Arabic_, have us. The sense is equally good in both readings. God did bring forth the Israelites from Babylon, according to his word; he separated them from _that_ _generation_, and reinstated them in their own land, according to his word; and most certainly he has _preserved them from generation_ _to generation_ to the present day, in a most remarkable manner....

“Thou shalt keep them That is, the persons referred to in Psalms 12:5 - the poor and the needy who were suffering from the wrongs inflicted on them. The idea is, that God would guard and defend them. They were safe in his hands. Compare Psalms 37:3. FROM THIS GENERATION - This generation, or this race of detractors, flatterers, and oppressors. The idea is, that that entire generation was eminently wicked, and that none but God could deliver the poor and the needy from their designs. FOREVER - That is, “constantly,” or as long as they would need the divine protection. God would not interpose and save them from the “present” trouble, and then leave them to the designs of their enemies, but he would “alwa

EXPOSITION ANOTHER Davidical psalm, both according to the title and to the general opinion of critics; said (like Psalms 6:1.) to be "upon Sheminith"—an expression of uncertain meaning. It consists of a complaint (Psalms 12:1, Psalms 12:2), a menace (Psalms 12:3, Psalms 12:4), and a promise (Psalms 12:5). Metrically, it seems to divide itself into four stanzas—the first, second, and fourth, of four lines each; the third, of six lines. There is nothing

THOU SHALL KEEP THEM, O LORD,.... Not the words before mentioned, as Aben Ezra explains it, for the affix is masculine and not feminine; not but God has wonderfully kept and preserved the sacred writings; and he keeps every word of promise which he has made; and the doctrines of the Gospel will always continue from one generation to another; but the sense is, that God will keep the poor and needy, and such as he sets in safety, as Kimchi rightly observes: they are not their own keepers, but God is the keeper of them; he keeps them by his power, and in his Son, in whose hands they are, and who is able to keep them from falling; they are kept by him from a total and final falling away; from the dominion and damning power of sin, and from being devoured by Satan, and from the evil of the world: and this the psalmist had good reason to believe, because of the love of God to them, his covenan...

Psalms 12:1. _Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men._ One might have thought that David still lived among us, his cry is so timely, so exactly true to the position of affairs today. What a prayer he offers! Driven away from confidence in men, he cries, «Help, Lord! Thou mighty One, put forth thy power! Thou faithful One, display thy truth! ‘Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.'» Psalms 12:2. _They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak._ They speak vanity; there is nothing in it. It is all froth, no reality; vain speech about vain subjects, having no real spiritual power to help the man that heareth: «

Psalms 12 _ 1. The arrogance of the wicked in the last days (Psalms 12:1)_ 2. Then Jehovah will act and deliver His people (Psalms 12:5) Psalms 12:1. It is the time of departure from the Lord; the godly and faithful have ceased. It is a mass of corruption, lying lips, flattering lips, proud lips. They reject the Lord. “Who is lord over us?” Psalms 12:5. Then faith sees the coming intervention. The Lord will speak. “Now will I arise, saith Jehovah, I will set him in safety whom they would puff.” Jehovah will keep His people in these coming dark

XII. A PRAYER OF FAITHFUL JEWS AGAINST THE ARROGANT TONGUE OF THE UNGODLY. Psalms 12:1_._ The godly man ceaseth (see Psalms 4:1). The wicked acknowledge no responsibility for their words: they say, To our tongues we give might, _i.e._ free rein. Psalms 12:5. Yahweh declares His intention of rising in defence of the poor and needy. Here the author quotes (unless the identity of the words be mere coincidence) Isaiah 33:10. He relies on a Divine promise there given, to which he now (Psalms 12:5_ b_) appeals. Well may he rely on the

THEM: i.e. the godly. Plural reference to "the faithful" of Psalms 12:1. THEM. him: refers to the man of grace (Psalms 12:1)....