How does Psalm 10:7 describe the wicked's use of their words?

Opening the Text

“His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and violence; trouble and malice are under his tongue.” (Psalm 10:7)

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Snapshot of the Wicked Tongue

• Full to the brim—nothing left for blessing or truth

• Overflowing with three specific sins:

– Cursing: open, hostile words against God and people

– Deceit: hidden, manipulative speech meant to mislead

– Violence: words that incite, threaten, or celebrate harm

• “Under his tongue” lurk trouble and malice—constant readiness to strike

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Key Terms Unpacked

• Cursing: verbal contempt that rejects God’s authority (cf. Exodus 22:28)

• Deceit: deliberate distortion, the same trait condemned in Proverbs 12:22

• Violence (oppression): speech used as a weapon (Proverbs 11:9)

• Trouble & Malice: the inner reservoir feeding every future word (Matthew 12:34)

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Echoes Through Scripture

• Romans 3:13-14 quotes this verse to diagnose universal sin

• James 3:6-8 describes the tongue as “a world of unrighteousness,” restless and deadly

• Proverbs 10:11 contrasts the righteous: “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life”

• Ephesians 4:29 commands believers to let “no unwholesome word” proceed from their mouths

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Take-Home Reflections

• Words reveal the heart; unchecked sin turns speech into a pipeline for evil

• The progression—cursing → deceit → violence—shows how verbal sin escalates

• Scripture calls believers to the opposite: blessing, truth, and peace (1 Peter 3:9)