Psalm 50:19-20

Psalm 50:19-20

The evil tongue

Further indictments of the wicked are set out here and these involve the tongue. This weapon is spoken of more frequently than any other in the Psalms. Bows and arrows and the like get a mention but they are inanimate objects, they do not cause damage in themselves, only in the hands of their users. Whereas the tongue is a powerful weapon on its own, in fact nearly all armed combat or physical violence begins with the tongue, it is what has been said that usually prompts the anger, the jealousy, the revenge that leads to the violence. In Psalm 55:21 David writes of one of his enemy, “His talk is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords.”Psalm 57:4 carries on the theme, “I am in the midst of lions; I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts – men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.” 

Here in Psalm 50 the wicked are accused of using their tongues for evil and harnessing them for deceit. I guess that, for those of us who have social and work contact with a number of people, we will witness this every day. The gossip, the scaremongering, the blasphemy and swearing, the lewd jokes and impure conversation, the hostility and anger all constantly expressed by the tongues of colleagues and friends. The psalmist goes further, he brings this abuse into his family where testimony and slander are used against a sibling. I’m sure we have all witnessed that as well! Oh, how careful we need to be with our tongues, our use of language. Let us not be guilty of joining with the wicked or emulating them. “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Let’s keep our hearts and our emotions and attitudes clean that we may not lower ourselves to the depths of the wicked.  

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