Psa 120:3-4 | KingComments | STEP | It is one of the painful experiences of a believer that he lives among people who can only lie, who live a ‘life of lies’. That he is the object of this makes it even more painful. It is an evil against which no protection is possible. No one can protect himself from false accusations. False accusations are neither foreseeable nor preventable. It is often impossible to find out who is behind them. And if the culprit can already be tracked down and convicted, the evil cannot be undone. We have an example of a deadly false accusation in the history of Naboth ( ). The righteous, and in him the remnant, feels distressed by what “lying lips” claim about him and by what is said of him with “a deceitful tongue” ( ; cf. ). The only thing the believer can do is to say it to the LORD. So that is what the righteous does here. The tongue is a special tool by which great mental and emotional harm can be done to others. When no real crimes can be discovered, a campaign of slander is resorted to in order to pillory someone and make his life impossible. The enemies will begin a terrible campaign of lies to strike the God-fearing to the depths of their souls. The God-fearing then resorts to the LORD with the plea to deliver his soul from this. In , the righteous addresses the enemy. He asks him two questions, which constitute a curse on swearing an oath, as Abner once did ( ). The psalmist asks what the “deceitful tongue” will “give” him, what it will bring him. Then he asks “what more shall be done to you” – “you” is that deceitful tongue – what extra gain it will give him. He himself gives the answer ( ). The enemy has sworn an oath with deceitful tongue, and now the LORD will strike him with the curse of this sworn oath. He, who has sharpened his tongue like a sharp arrow, will be pierced by “sharp arrows of the warrior” (cf. ; ; ; ). The warrior is the Messiah ( ). He, who has spoken his words like a devastating fire upon him, will be consumed by the fire of “[burning] coals of the broom tree” (cf. ; ). Wood from broom trees is particularly hard and its coals burns fiercely and for a long time. Therefore, this coals are extremely suitable for attaching to an arrow, making that arrow a fiery, burning arrow.

‏ Psalms 120:3-4

A Deceitful Tongue

It is one of the painful experiences of a believer that he lives among people who can only lie, who live a ‘life of lies’. That he is the object of this makes it even more painful. It is an evil against which no protection is possible. No one can protect himself from false accusations.

False accusations are neither foreseeable nor preventable. It is often impossible to find out who is behind them. And if the culprit can already be tracked down and convicted, the evil cannot be undone. We have an example of a deadly false accusation in the history of Naboth (1Kgs 21:1-15).

The righteous, and in him the remnant, feels distressed by what “lying lips” claim about him and by what is said of him with “a deceitful tongue” (Psa 120:2; cf. Psa 52:4). The only thing the believer can do is to say it to the LORD. So that is what the righteous does here.

The tongue is a special tool by which great mental and emotional harm can be done to others. When no real crimes can be discovered, a campaign of slander is resorted to in order to pillory someone and make his life impossible. The enemies will begin a terrible campaign of lies to strike the God-fearing to the depths of their souls. The God-fearing then resorts to the LORD with the plea to deliver his soul from this.

In Psa 120:3, the righteous addresses the enemy. He asks him two questions, which constitute a curse on swearing an oath, as Abner once did (2Sam 3:9). The psalmist asks what the “deceitful tongue” will “give” him, what it will bring him. Then he asks “what more shall be done to you” – “you” is that deceitful tongue – what extra gain it will give him.

He himself gives the answer (Psa 120:4). The enemy has sworn an oath with deceitful tongue, and now the LORD will strike him with the curse of this sworn oath. He, who has sharpened his tongue like a sharp arrow, will be pierced by “sharp arrows of the warrior” (cf. Psa 57:4 ; Psa 64:3; Pro 25:18; Jer 9:3 ; 8; Gal 6:7). The warrior is the Messiah (Psa 24:8).

He, who has spoken his words like a devastating fire upon him, will be consumed by the fire of “[burning] coals of the broom tree” (cf. Pro 16:27; Jam 3:6). Wood from broom trees is particularly hard and its coals burns fiercely and for a long time. Therefore, this coals are extremely suitable for attaching to an arrow, making that arrow a fiery, burning arrow.