Psalm 12 (11):5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

A different translator remarks that we will reign. Our speech is under our control. Another version states: we have the essence with us. Who is our Master? Another translation inquires: who will govern us? ...and mocking their folly, it states, "Our mouths are ours, who is our Master?" Such words are typical of the possessed and the insane! Therefore, Paul, in opposition to them, indicates: "Know you not that you are bought with a price" (1 Cor. 6:19, 20) and instructs us to live not for ourselves (Rom. 16:7). He asserts that these mouths do not belong to you, but to the Lord: He formed them, fashioned them, and gave them life. But do you possess them?

Meaning arrogant pretenders rely on their words to mislead others and refuse to yield to God.

They seemed to believe they had the authority to utter anything they wished against the Savior. Their question, "Who is Lord to us?" echoes a sentiment of ignorance: “But we do not know this, wherefore it is” (John 9:29).

They do not endure, as the Prophet reveals, a harmony between words and the reality of actions, nor do they heed the divine commandments. With unrestrained tongues, they boldly express whatever comes to mind, showing little regard for God's patience, while failing to recognize they are under God's authority. This was true of Pharaoh, who proclaimed: ‘We do not perceive the Lord’ (Ex. 5:2). This was evident in Rapsak, who had the audacity to declare, ‘Let not your God, in whom you trust, deceive you, that he will deliver Jerusalem out of my hand’ (4 Kings 19:10). Similarly, Nebuchadnezzar intimidated the courageous young men, boldly asking, ‘Who is God, that will deliver you out of my hand?’ (Dan. 3:15).

God declares that He will eliminate those who harbor such thoughts within themselves—those who believe they can boast and speak arrogantly. They assert, "Our speech is our own; who is the Lord to us?" It is spoken by those who proclaim, “Our own mouths and tongues are our authority.” Thus, whom should we fear when uttering such haughty words? Who is capable of stopping us from expressing our clever sayings? Paul, addressing this illusion, reminds them in 1 Corinthians 6:20, "Ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price," urging them to live not for themselves but for the Lord, who created them and their speech.

In these statements, he foretells the fate of those who engage in flattery, believing they can gain something from it, including slanderers and those who spread gossip; they will face eternal destruction. By linking the mouths of the flatterers with the tongues of the talkative, he illustrates that those who flatter not only injure their neighbor with their words but also take pride in their actions, praising their own deceitfulness and viewing the speech of the talkative as significant, while effectively looking down upon God, who bestowed upon humanity the gift of speech to exalt His name. Our mouths are a testament to our Lord—implying that we refuse to acknowledge anyone as greater than us who could exercise authority over us. We will triumph through our words. Such were the courtiers in David's time during Saul's reign, as was Pharaoh, Rabshekah, and Nebuchadnezzar.

Cursed are those who consider themselves wise, engaging in disputes over falsehood instead of truth, and justifying wickedness in place of righteousness. They proclaim good as evil and evil as good, confusing bitterness with sweetness and sweetness with bitterness (Is. 5:20). Yet, that very tongue will also lift up praises, especially when blessing those who suffer (Luke 6:28). The voices of those who kneel are united, much like the wicked among the Jews when they called upon Christ the Lord: "His blood be upon us and upon our children" (Matt. 27:25). Who is our Lord? This reveals a profound insolence against God, akin to that of Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, and others (Athanasius).