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Psalm 59:7
Behold, they spew with their mouth. Swords are in their lips, “For”, they say, “who hears us?”
5You, LORD God of Armies, the God of Israel, rouse yourself to punish the nations. Show no mercy to the wicked traitors. Selah.
6They return at evening, howling like dogs, and prowl around the city.
7Behold, they spew with their mouth. Swords are in their lips, “For”, they say, “who hears us?”
8But you, LORD, laugh at them. You scoff at all the nations.
9Oh, my Strength, I watch for you, for God is my high tower.
Notice
Swords in the enemies’ lips make their speech a threat, and their boast about going unheard adds contempt for accountability to the danger.
Questions to write on. Each one opens a new entry with this verse already attached.
What does the image of swords in lips show about the enemies’ speech?
Write on thisWhere have you encountered harmful speech backed by the belief that no one hears?
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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
James 3:8but nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.Swords in Psalm 59 and deadly poison in James portray speech as something capable of grave harm.
Luke 6:45The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which …Psalm 59 depicts enemies pouring out harmful speech; Luke describes evil speech as coming from the heart’s evil treasure.
Isaiah 29:15Woe to those who deeply hide their counsel from the LORD, and whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, “Who sees us?” and “Who knows us?”Both passages expose people who count on escaping notice, whether through unheard speech or deeds hidden from the LORD.
Psalm 57:4My soul is among lions. I lie among those who are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.Both psalms describe threatening people through weapons in their mouths, with swords attached to lips or tongue.
Proverbs 15:2The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools gush out folly.Both passages picture harmful speech pouring from mouths, though Proverbs names folly where Psalm 59 depicts threats.
Psalm 10:11He says in his heart, “God has forgotten. He hides his face. He will never see it.”Both passages record the confidence of wrongdoers who believe their conduct escapes notice.
Job 22:13You say, ‘What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?The enemies dismiss being heard, while Eliphaz accuses Job of questioning God’s knowledge and judgment.
Psalm 55:21His mouth was smooth as butter, but his heart was war. His words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.Both psalms compare speech to swords, though Psalm 55 adds the contrast between smooth words and a warlike heart.
Psalm 73:11They say, “How does God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?”Both passages record defiant questions about whether anyone hears or whether God knows.
Proverbs 6:12A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth,Both passages identify corrupt speech as a feature of people engaged in wrongdoing.
Lamentations 3:62the lips of those that rose up against me, and their plots against me all day long.Both passages describe hostile people whose lips are part of their opposition to the speaker.
Proverbs 12:18There is one who speaks rashly like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise heals.Both passages compare damaging speech to a sword, while Proverbs also describes the healing work of wise speech.
Where this verse fits
Injustice and anger. work conflict.
One step
Something small to carry out of this verse
Encouragement
The speaker names the danger without softening it. As these enemies boast, he turns toward YHWH, his strength and high tower.
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).