Psalm 12:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: You, O Lord, will keep them; you will guard us from this generation forever.

NIV: You, Lord, will keep the needy safe and will protect us forever from the wicked,

NASB: You, Lord, will keep them; You will protect him from this generation forever.

CSB: You, Lord, will guard us; you will protect us from this generation forever.

NLT: Therefore, Lord, we know you will protect the oppressed, preserving them forever from this lying generation,

KJV: Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

NKJV: You shall keep them, O Lord, You shall preserve them from this generation forever.

Those being protected, here, are poor and oppressed people who are being abused by wicked men (Psalm 12:3–5). David trusts God to guard His people from the generation of proud, deceptive, violent people (Psalm 12:1–2).

The term "generation," as used here, can be a reference to a culture or a society. It can also refer to major attitudes or groups within a culture. In that sense, there are two main "generations" mentioned in Scripture. There is the generation of the righteous (Psalm 14:5), also called "the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob" (Psalm 24:6), "the generation of your children" (Psalm 73:15), and "the generation of the upright" (Psalm 112:2).

In sharp contrast to this righteous generation is the lying generation David mentions in this verse. The apostle Paul refers to this latter generation as "a crooked and twisted generation" (Philippians 2:15). The Lord protects His people from the generation that insults Him and persecutes His people. Jesus acknowledged in John 16:33 that believers will be persecuted, but He promised His peace and said, "Take heart; I have overcome the world." Jude 1:24–25 ascribes praise to the Lord for His protection of His people all the way to heaven.

Psalm 12:5–8 comes after David described oppressors of the poor and needy who boasted about their deeds and felt no accountability. In this section, David expresses assurance that God will intervene on behalf of the oppressed. The wicked spoke lies and deceptive words, but David reflects upon the Lord's words as pure and dependable. He is confident that the Lord will protect the afflicted.

In this short song, David mourns for what he sees as an entirely corrupt, evil culture. The people around him seem entirely filled with lies, flattery, and deception. These arrogant smooth-talkers think the power of their words will achieve whatever they desire. In contrast to the evil words the wicked employ, are the Lord's words. They are as pure and precious as silver refined seven times over in a furnace. David is confident that the Lord will protect His people from the harm their wicked contemporaries are inflicting. David concludes the psalm with a description of the widespread evil committed by the wicked. It is everywhere, and it is highly praised throughout the land.

This psalm reveals a basic contrast between the words of deceitful, flattering evildoers and the pure, reliable words of God. David laments the speech and behavior of a proud, deceitful culture. This brings to mind similar complaints from the Old Testament (Habakkuk 1:2–4; Psalm 22). He also expresses assurance that the Lord will protect him and all the righteous from their wicked contemporaries (Psalm 3:3).

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.