Psalms 12:4 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Bible Comments

With our tongue will we prevail, by raising and spreading slanders and evil reports concerning him, whereby both Saul will be highly and implacably enraged against David, and the hearts of the people alienated from him; which was indeed a very likely way to prevail against, him, and that by their tongues only. Our lips are our own, i.e. at our own dispose to speak what we please. Who is lord over us; who can control or restrain us? This was not the language of their mouths, for they were Israelites, that owned a God above them, and they were subjects of Saul; but the language of their actions. Scripture oft tells us not only what men do actually say, but what they would say if they durst, or what their actions mean, as Psalms 94:7 Zechariah 1:12 13 2:17. They take as great a liberty in their speech as if they believed there was no God or man superior to them; because neither the fear of God, nor the reverence of men, can keep them from speaking whatsoever they please, or what they suppose makes for their interest.

Psalms 12:4

4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?