Psalms 12:1

"Psalms."

Key Reflection

In Psalm 12:1, the psalmist cries out for divine assistance, recognizing that even the faithful are failing among people. This verse reflects a sense of widespread moral decay and the need for God's intervention to restore righteousness and integrity in society. The cultural context suggests a time when the righteous were in decline, highlighting the broader struggle between virtue and corruption that echoes throughout biblical literature.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Help, Lord -Hebrew, “Save, Yahweh.” The idea is that there was no human help, and, therefore, the divine help is implored. The psalmist saw that those on whom reliance was usually placed for the promotion of the cause of truth and virtue now failed, and hence, he invites the divine interposition. For the godly man -The word used here properly denotes the “merciful” man -חסידchâsı̂yd. It is a term applied to the righteous, because it is a prominent trait in the character of a pious man that he is merciful, kind, benignant. Hence, the general character is often denoted by the special characteristic; in the same way as we speak of a pious man as a good man, a just man, a righteous man.

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