Psalms 139:12
A man full of tongue shall not be established in the earth: evil shall catch the unjust man unto destruction.
Open Psalms 139:12 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Vir linguosus non dirigetur in terra ; virum injustum mala capient in interitu.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἄνδρα ἄδικον κακὰ θηρεύσει εἰς καταφθοράν.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 140:12
- אִ֥ישׁ לָשׁוֹן֮ בַּל יִכּ֪וֹן בָּ֫אָ֥רֶץ אִישׁ חָמָ֥ס רָ֑ע יְ֝צוּדֶ֗נּוּ לְמַדְחֵפֹֽת
Haydock's commentary
Tongue. This member is very dangerous. (Pet. Bless. cxix.) (James iii. 6.)
The just man is not styled "a man of tongue," but "of heart;" for which reason Christ exhorted his disciples not to make long speeches in prayer, Matthew vi. 7. (Berthier)
Into. Literally, "in;" though (Haydock) it should be into, conformably to the Septuagint. (Berthier)
Raro antecedentem scelestum
Deseruit pede pœna claudo. (Horace, iii. Od. ii.)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
The Apostolic Constitutions Book VII. Concerning the Christian Life, and the Eucharist, and the Initiation into Christ, Sec. I. On the Two Ways, The Way of Life and the Way of Death
IV . Thou shall not speak evil; for says He, “Love not to speak evil, lest thou beest taken away.” Nor shalt thou be mindful of injuries; for “the ways of those that remember injuries are unto death.” Thou shall not be double-minded nor double-tongued; for “a man’s own lips are a strong snare to him,” and “a talkative person shall not be prospered upon earth.” Thy words shall not be vain; for “ye shall give an account of every idle word.” Thou shalt not tell lies: for says He, “Thou shalt destroy all those that speak lies.” Thou shalt not be covetous nor rapacious: for says He, “Woe to him that is covetous towards his neighbour with an evil covetousness.”
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm CXL
14. “A man full of words shall not be guided upon earth” ( ver. 11 ). “A man full of words” loveth lies. For what pleasure hath he, save in speaking? He careth not what he speaketh, so long as he speaks. It cannot be that he will be guided. What then ought the servant of God to do, who is kindled with these “coals,” and himself made a coal of salvation, what should he do? He should wish rather to hear than to speak; as it is written, “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak.” And if it may be so, let him desire this, not to be obliged to speak and talk and teach.…I can quickly tell you wherein each one may prove himself, not by never speaking, but by requiring a case where it is his duty to speak; let him be glad to be silent, in will, let him speak to teach, when he must. …
St John Chrysostom A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, Homily XXIX on Acts xiii. 16, 17
This too might with reason be said to us: “Behold ye despisers.” For the Church indeed is in very evil case, although ye think her affairs to be in peace. For the mischief of it is, that while we labor under so many evils, we do not even know that we have any. “What sayest thou? We are in possession of our Churches, our Church property, and all the rest, the services are held, the congregation comes to Church every day.” True, but one is not to judge of the state of a Church from these things. From what then? Whether there be piety, whether we return home with profit each day, whether reaping some fruit, be it much or little, whether we do it not merely of routine and for the formal acquittance of a duty ( ἀφοσιούμενοι ). …