The Meaning of Psalms 59:12 Explained

Psalms 59:12

KJV: For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.

YLT: The sin of their mouth is a word of their lips, And they are captured in their pride, And from the curse and lying they recount.

Darby: Because of the sin of their mouth, the word of their lips, let them even be taken in their pride; and because of cursing and lying which they speak.

ASV: For the sin of their mouth, and the words of their lips, Let them even be taken in their pride, And for cursing and lying which they speak.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[For] the sin  of their mouth  [and] the words  of their lips  let them even be taken  in their pride:  and for cursing  and lying  [which] they speak. 

What does Psalms 59:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 59:1-17 - "god Is My High Tower"
This is the fifth of the Michtams, or "Golden Psalms." Compare Psalms 16:1-11; Psalms 56:1-13; Psalms 57:1-11; Psalms 58:1-11. The contents correspond to the title and to 1 Samuel 19:11.
The most noticeable feature is the twice-repeated refrain of Psalms 59:9; Psalms 17:1-15. In each case David appeals to God as my strength, and describes Him as my high tower and the God of my mercy. The possessive pronoun my is very remarkable. Each of us needs mercy of a very special sort. My mercy would not help you, nor would yours help me. Note also that God's mercy prevents, that is, "goes in front," Psalms 59:10. As the mother's thought prepares beforehand for the child, so God thinks ahead for us, and leads us into the good things which He has prepared for them that love Him, 1 Corinthians 2:9; Psalms 31:19.
In the first refrain David says, "I will wait for thee;" in the second, "I will sing praises." Waiting on God leads to singing. All night Saul's emissaries might prowl around David's home, like the wild dogs of an Eastern city. But within he was singing aloud of God's mercy, and when the morning broke he was in safety. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 59

1  David prays to be delivered from his enemies
6  He complains of their cruelty
8  He trusts in god
11  He prays against them
16  He praises God

What do the individual words in Psalms 59:12 mean?

[For] the sin of their mouth [and] the words of their lips and let them even be taken in their pride and for the oath and lying [which] they speak
חַטַּאת־ פִּ֗ימוֹ דְּֽבַר־ שְׂפָ֫תֵ֥ימוֹ וְיִלָּכְד֥וּ בִגְאוֹנָ֑ם וּמֵאָלָ֖ה וּמִכַּ֣חַשׁ יְסַפֵּֽרוּ

חַטַּאת־  [For]  the  sin 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חַטָּאָה 
Sense: sin, sinful.
פִּ֗ימוֹ  of  their  mouth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
דְּֽבַר־  [and]  the  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
שְׂפָ֫תֵ֥ימוֹ  of  their  lips 
Parse: Noun, fdc, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׂפָה  
Sense: lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding.
וְיִלָּכְד֥וּ  and  let  them  even  be  taken 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: לָכַד  
Sense: to capture, take, seize.
בִגְאוֹנָ֑ם  in  their  pride 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: גָּאֹון  
Sense: exaltation, majesty, pride.
וּמֵאָלָ֖ה  and  for  the  oath 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אָלָה  
Sense: oath.
וּמִכַּ֣חַשׁ  and  lying 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כַּחַשׁ  
Sense: lying, deception.
יְסַפֵּֽרוּ  [which]  they  speak 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: סָפַר 
Sense: to count, recount, relate.