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Psalm 120:4
Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.
2Deliver my soul, LORD, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.
3What will be given to you, and what will be done more to you, you deceitful tongue?
4Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.
5Woe is me, that I live in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
6My soul has had her dwelling too long with him who hates peace.
Notice
Sharp arrows and juniper coals answer the question about a deceitful tongue with a violent picture of judgment, making the cost of lies hard to dismiss.
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James 3:5–8So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. See how a small fire can spread to a large forest!James compares the tongue’s reach to a spreading fire; Psalm 120 pictures burning coals as the answer to a deceitful tongue.
Song of Songs 8:6Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm; for love is strong as death. Jealousy is as cruel as Sheol. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a very …Both use fire imagery, though Song of Songs describes love and jealousy while Psalm 120 speaks of judgment on deceit.
Romans 12:20Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.”Both mention coals in settings of hostility; Romans commands feeding an enemy, while Psalm 120 pictures what awaits a deceitful tongue.
Job 20:26All darkness is laid up for his treasures. An unfanned fire will devour him. It will consume that which is left in his tent.Job describes fire that devours a person and his tent’s contents; Psalm 120 uses burning coals in its threat against deceit.
Proverbs 18:21Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruit.Both connect the tongue with grave consequences: Proverbs names death and life, while Psalm 120 answers deceit with arrows and coals.
Proverbs 19:9A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who utters lies shall perish.Proverbs declares that lies will meet punishment; Psalm 120 portrays the deceitful tongue’s punishment through sharp arrows and burning coals.
Proverbs 16:27A worthless man devises mischief. His speech is like a scorching fire.Proverbs compares harmful speech to scorching fire; Psalm 120 uses burning coals to describe the answer to deceitful speech.
Proverbs 12:22Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who do the truth are his delight.Proverbs names the LORD’s hatred of lying lips; Psalm 120 seeks his deliverance from them before describing judgment.
Psalm 45:5Your arrows are sharp. The nations fall under you, with arrows in the heart of the king’s enemies.Both describe sharp arrows as weapons that strike opponents; Psalm 45 names the king’s enemies, while Psalm 120 addresses a deceitful tongue.
Psalm 127:4As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of youth.Both pair arrows with a mighty warrior, though Psalm 127 compares children to arrows and Psalm 120 uses them to threaten judgment.
Psalm 140:10Let burning coals fall on them. Let them be thrown into the fire, into miry pits, from where they never rise.Burning coals appear in both psalms as images of harm falling upon those opposed to the speaker.
Deuteronomy 32:24They shall be wasted with hunger, and devoured with burning heat and bitter destruction. I will send the teeth of animals on them, with the venom of vipers …Both describe punishment through destructive heat, with juniper coals in Psalm 120 and burning heat among Deuteronomy’s threats.
Where this verse fits
Injustice and anger. work conflict. sermon or Bible study notes.
One step
Something small to carry out of this verse
Encouragement
This prayer brings deceit before YHWH. Its sharp arrows and burning coals speak of judgment; they give no command to harm someone who has lied.
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).