Psalms 50:19

"“You give your mouth to evil. Your tongue frames deceit."

Key Reflection

In Psalms 50:19, the psalmist describes individuals who willingly engage in wickedness by using their speech maliciously and deceptively. The verse highlights how the mouth and tongue are not just physical organs but tools of evil, employed to craft and spread deceit. This imagery draws on a broader cultural context where words were seen as powerful instruments that could harm or benefit others significantly.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Thou givest thy mouth to evil -Margin, as in Hebrew, “thou sendest.” That is, they gave it up to evil; they employed it in evil: in falsehood, malice, deceit, slander, deception, detraction. And thy tongue frameth deceit -The word rendered “frameth” means properly to bind, to fasten; and then, to contrive, to frame. The meaning is, that it was employed in the work of deceit; that is, it was employed in devising and executing purposes of fraud and falsehood.

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