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Psalm 5:9
For there is no faithfulness in their mouth. Their heart is destruction. Their throat is an open tomb. They flatter with their tongue.
7But as for me, in the abundance of your loving kindness I will come into your house. I will bow toward your holy temple in reverence of you.
8Lead me, LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies. Make your way straight before my face.
9For there is no faithfulness in their mouth. Their heart is destruction. Their throat is an open tomb. They flatter with their tongue.
10Hold them guilty, God. Let them fall by their own counsels. Thrust them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against you.
11But let all those who take refuge in you rejoice. Let them always shout for joy, because you defend them. Let them also who love your name be joyful in you.
Notice
An open tomb is a stark picture for a throat, exposing the danger beneath the pleasing words of enemies whose hearts seek destruction.
Questions to write on. Each one opens a new entry with this verse already attached.
What does the open tomb comparison help you see about the harm speech can cause?
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Where else Scripture says this
12 passages readers most often link with this verse, and the thread each one shares with it.
This verse's connections, by chapterThe Bible's strongest chapter linksHover or tap a book to trace it
Romans 3:13“Their throat is an open tomb. With their tongues they have used deceit.” “The poison of vipers is under their lips.”Romans repeats “Their throat is an open tomb.” and joins the same grave image to deceitful speech.
Ephesians 4:29Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear.Both treat speech as a matter of right and wrong: Psalm 5 exposes destructive words, while Ephesians commands words that build others up.
Jeremiah 9:3–6“They bend their tongue, as their bow, for falsehood. They have grown strong in the land, but not for truth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they don’t …Both describe tongues used for falsehood, linking deceptive speech with evil that reaches beyond the words themselves.
Psalm 51:6Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts. You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.Both concern what is within a person: Psalm 5 names destruction, while Psalm 51 says God desires inward truth.
Psalm 62:4They fully intend to throw him down from his lofty place. They delight in lies. They bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.Both describe enemies whose outward words conceal destructive intent, with flattery in Psalm 5 and spoken blessing in Psalm 62.
Micah 6:12Her rich men are full of violence, her inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their speech.Both name deceitful tongues and connect false speech with destruction or violence among the people they describe.
Proverbs 29:5A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.Both portray flattery as dangerous, using an open tomb in the psalm and a net in the proverb.
Psalm 64:6They plot injustice, saying, “We have made a perfect plan!” Surely man’s mind and heart are cunning.Both locate danger within the heart, describing inward destruction in Psalm 5 and cunning plans for injustice in Psalm 64.
Psalm 12:2Everyone lies to his neighbor. They speak with flattering lips, and with a double heart.Both connect flattering speech with an untrustworthy heart, exposing a divide between pleasing words and what lies within.
Jeremiah 5:16Their quiver is an open tomb. They are all mighty men.Both use the phrase “an open tomb” to depict danger, applying it to a throat in one passage and a quiver in the other.
Luke 11:44Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like hidden graves, and the men who walk over them don’t know it.”Both use graves to expose danger in people: Psalm 5 describes a throat, while Jesus compares hypocrites to hidden graves.
Jeremiah 17:9The heart is deceitful above all things and it is exceedingly corrupt. Who can know it?Both describe corruption within the heart: Psalm 5 names its destructive intent, while Jeremiah stresses its deceit.
Where this verse fits
Work conflict. broken friendship. injustice and anger.
One step
Something small to carry out of this verse
Encouragement
Flattering words do not erase the harm described here. David brings that danger before God and asks for a straight path in God's righteousness.
Now put it in your words.
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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).