Words of Silver in Psalm 12

Psalm 12 depicts our spiritual battle as a war of words; and the main players are not who we might think they are.

The spiritual batter in Psalm 12 is not a battle between the righteous and the wicked.

The proof for this begins in verse 1. Psalm 12:1 creates a frame for the entire poem, i.e., an introduction that sets the tone and context, in which there is a fundamental problem: there are no righteous persons to be found. This problem is then intensified in the next line as the writer expresses his despair; for it is as if the godly have simply disappeared.

But what does the Psalmist mean by this? Where have all the righteous gone?

Verse 2 provides the focus: the godly are not dead, per say, but rather silent, they are not proclaiming God’s truths, and as a result of this vacuum lies have arisen. The second line of this verse focuses the problem: flattery and deception are everywhere. This is a sad depiction of reality.

Injustice runs rampant, and relationships are fractured as neighbors can’t even trust each other. In other words, those who should be called “righteous” behave just as badly or worse than the wicked.

The righteous have been brought down by their own words.

What an indictment of God’s people.

Despair, however, turns to hope as the Psalmist prays, asking the Lord to intervene. In verses 3 and 4, he prays that God will make the wicked silent, and thereby, ironically, rendering them into the same useless state of the godly, so that the wicked will not triumph.

The narrative then progresses further in Psalm 1:5 as the Lord answers this prayer. He will arise; and the reason why we can trust the Lord is because of the surety of his words.

Indeed, God’s words are the greatest antithesis to the words of the wicked.

His words are “flawless” (v. 6) and pure – a contrastive description to the impurity of the wicked’s “flattering lips” and “boastful tongue” (v. 3). Though the Lord doesn’t explain what He will do, we know we can trust His promise.

The writer then uses intensification via visual ploys to further deepen our understanding of the difference between the words of God and man. Three images are utilized – silver, a clay furnace, and the number seven – and the relationship between them is also one of chronological movement: in being likened to precious metal, God’s words are of infinite worth; drawing upon intertextual references with Deuteronomy 4:24 and 9:3, His words are continually refined as God Himself is a consuming fire; and the result of this circuitous process is a divine perfection represented in the number seven.

The precious, pure and perfect words of God, the writer states in verse 7, are the only true weapons and refuge in the fight against the wicked.

This statement is profound. We can take comfort that the God who speaks is able to wield the highest power. Indeed, the Psalmist is also assured; for while the poem concludes much as it began – with the words of the wicked still spreading like venom across the earth – he takes heart that their antithesis, God, has spoken His silver words and His battle against the wicked has already begun.