Psalm 5:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"For there is no truth in their mouth: their heart is a blight." In this context, he appears to address both those who are misguided, condemning their speech and inner thoughts as contrary to goodness, and those who lead immoral lives. The phrase “Their larynx is an open sepulchre” suggests that they are either prone to violence or espouse dead and repugnant teachings. To refer to a mouth that speaks disgraceful things as an open tomb is hardly inaccurate, as this foulness, emanating from a decaying spirit, is far more nauseating than mere physical corruption. Just like vultures, they speak nothing of value but bring destruction and deceit. Therefore, let your speech not resemble a tomb, but instead be like a treasure house.

The grave of the unrighteous can be interpreted as a manifestation of how the wicked, through deceitful words and charming flatteries, draw in those they lead astray into sin, effectively consuming them and luring them into their destructive lifestyle. When individuals succumb to this influence, they perish in their transgressions; thus, those they have misled may justly be regarded as open sepulchers. This is because they exist in a state akin to death, lacking a commitment to truth, and they internally accept those who have been led astray by their misleading statements and the emptiness of their hearts.

Their hearts are filled with emptiness, reflecting the minds of the wise in this age, as well as those who stray from the truth; for they are unaware of the message of truth. The grave turns away from their speech, their tongues that deceive them. They smooth their words, only to deliver teachings that bring about destruction.

For there is no truth in their speech; they do not have Christ, who embodies Truth, on their lips. Alas, misguided heretics resemble whitewashed tombs filled with the bones of the dead. Arius, Eunomius, and others among the heretics possess tongues like arrows, and their throats are like open graves. It is aptly noted: open, for whenever another deceived soul seeks to enter, the heretic is prepared, and the lid is abruptly closed. Heretics keep their mouths perpetually ajar; they are never silent. Their thoughts diverge from their words; they profess righteousness with their lips while hiding their iniquity. They acknowledge Christ, yet covertly pay homage to the adversary, knowing well that no one would fall prey if they openly declared allegiance to the devil. They proclaim the light but obscure the darkness, using the light as a means to draw others into the shadows.

The coffin represents humanity's voice, where harmful disbelief and lifeless expressions gather; it erodes and falters over time, as though assaulted by ferocious beasts. There exists another grave, situated within the soul. The Word shapes this space for Himself, penetrating the hardness of the unredeemed heart and refining it through the acts of faith and teaching. Thus, the might of Christ is manifest among the nations.

"For there is no truth in their speech," indicating that they constantly taint their words with deceit. "Their heart is vanity." Their utterances reflect their thoughts, and their tongues align with the deceitfulness of their intentions. "The coffin rejecteth their larynx." Sealed coffins harbor a foul odor, while open ones spread a strong stench. They emit words rife with malevolence and decay. The prophet refers to their blasphemies against God, alongside their indecent and immoral expressions. "They lick their tongues. Judge them, O God." What they express verbally is even more vile than what lies hidden in their hearts; they engage in treachery, devising countless plots against their neighbors.

For there is no truth in their speech, their hearts are filled with emptiness. These adversaries persistently utter falsehoods, being deceivers deeply entrenched in futile and hollow thoughts, for they are indeed treacherous individuals. The grave rejects their voices. This may refer to either the lifeless doctrines and foul blasphemies of the heretics, or to their foolish expressions, which swiftly decay like a lifeless body. It may also be considered in light of history, recognizing the vile arrogance that permeated the words of David’s foes. Furthermore, a sealed coffin not only hides the decaying body within but also the foul stench it releases. They flatter with their tongues.

Lifeless voices Indeed, voices that struggle to praise God or have never made the effort to do so are comparable to those of the deceased.

What is the meaning behind the words sung by the holy David, ‘There is no truth in their mouth, their heart is vanity like an open coffin, their throat, with their tongues they flatter’ (Psalm 5:10)? The response is that this passage illustrates the wicked individuals who unleash various forms of injustice and persecution against the righteous. ‘There is no truth in their mouth; whatever they convey is always deceitful.’ In another psalm, it is stated, ‘His mouth is full of curses, and bitterness, and flattery; under his tongue is torment and sickness’ (Psalm 9:28). ‘Their heart is vanity.’ Jesus remarks, ‘An evil man out of an evil treasure bringeth forth evil things’ (Matt. 12:35), for ‘out of their heart’ come ‘evil thoughts’ (Matt.

Futility is at the center of the external scholars, about whom it is declared, ‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise men, that they are vanity.’ Their utterances release lifeless doctrines, for they do not proclaim the life-affirming Word of God, but rather propagate falsehoods and empty notions.

He explains the reason behind his plea for assistance against the adversaries who disseminate their teachings: they are solely focused on misleading others, and avoiding their messages is not a viable option. He states that there is no veracity in their speech, only falsehoods, cunning, and trickery; they communicate one way but harbor different thoughts. Their hearts are filled with vanity, and their outward behavior is corrupt; they possess no wisdom or contemplation beyond their own futility. Their voices are open, like a tomb’s entrance; the mouths or tongues from which they articulate words resemble this opening.

When a person articulates virtuous words but harbors malevolent thoughts, the truth is absent from their speech. For the one who commits sin without recognizing it, the heart becomes a source of emptiness; likewise, if one fails to contemplate salvation, their heart is likewise devoid of purpose. Just as the foul odor of decay emanates from a grave, so too do the words, issuing forth from the throat in relation to the demise of the innocent, carry the stench of transgression. The deceitful tongue of the wicked, including those among the Jewish leaders, flatters Christ the Lord, proclaiming, 'Teacher, we see that you are true' (Matthew 22:16); yet, at the Final Judgment, they will face everlasting punishment.