🎵WEB · Psalms 31:18
What does Psalms 31:18 mean?
"Let the lying lips be mute, which speak against the righteous insolently, with pride and contempt."
— Psalms 31:18 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
My times are in your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.
Make your face to shine on your servant. Save me in your loving kindness.
Let me not be disappointed, Yahweh, for I have called on you. Let the wicked be disappointed. Let them be silent in Sheol.
Let the lying lips be mute, which speak against the righteous insolently, with pride and contempt.
Oh how great is your goodness, which you have laid up for those who fear you, which you have worked for those who take refuge in you, before the sons of men!
In the shelter of your presence you will hide them from the plotting of man. You will keep them secretly in a dwelling away from the strife of tongues.
Praise be to Yahweh, for he has shown me his marvelous loving kindness in a strong city.
Explanation
Psalm 31:18 reads, in the World English Bible, "Let the lying lips be mute, which speak against the righteous insolently, with pride and contempt." In plain language, David is asking God to silence people who tell lies about him, particularly those who speak arrogantly and with scorn against those who are trying to live rightly before God. It is a prayer that deceitful, proud speech directed at godly people would simply stop—that such voices would be muted.
This verse sits within Psalm 31, a psalm attributed to David, written during a time of intense personal distress. Throughout the psalm, David describes being surrounded by enemies, facing slander, plots against his life, and feelings of being forgotten and despised (verses 9-13 especially). He speaks of being like "a broken vessel" and hearing "the slander of many" who conspire against him. Verse 18 comes as part of David's appeal to God for vindication and rescue, following his declaration of trust in verses 14-17, where he says "my times are in your hand" and asks God to save him and put his enemies to shame instead. The lying lips he references likely belong to real historical adversaries—possibly during his conflicts with Saul or other political enemies—who used slander as a weapon against him.
Theologically, this verse reflects an important biblical theme: the tension between the righteous and the wicked is not merely about actions but often about speech. Lies, arrogance, and contempt aimed at God's people are treated seriously in Scripture because they distort truth and attack character unjustly. David's request isn't rooted in mere personal
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