How does Psalm 5:9 connect with James 3:8 about controlling the tongue? Setting the scene with the two verses “ For there is no truth in their mouth; their heart is destruction; their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.” (Psalm 5:9) “ But no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” (James 3:8) Shared diagnosis: the tongue reveals the heart • Both texts expose speech as a window into the inner person. • Psalm 5:9 traces deceitful words to a heart of “destruction.” • James 3:8 widens the scope, stating that the tongue is untamable by human effort, showing an inherent sin problem. Psalm 5:9: corruption flowing outward • Vocabulary of death: “throat is an open grave” pictures speech that spreads decay. • Falsehood originates in a corrupt heart (“no truth in their mouth”). • Parallel passages: Psalm 140:3; Romans 3:13 echo the same imagery of poisonous speech. James 3:8: universal inability • “No man can tame the tongue” underscores our complete insufficiency. • The tongue’s “deadly poison” mirrors the “open grave” image—death-laced language. • James unites all people under this indictment, not just the openly wicked. How the passages connect • Psalm 5:9 provides a portrait of the wicked; James 3:8 shows that, apart from grace, everyone shares that condition. • Both verses declare the tongue naturally lethal, stressing the need for divine intervention, not mere self-discipline. Divine remedy and daily practice • New heart promised in Ezekiel 36:26-27 makes righteous speech possible. • Indwelling Spirit produces “self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23) that James says humans lack on their own. • Practical steps enabled by grace: – Fill the heart with truth (Psalm 119:11). – Yield speech to the Spirit’s control (Ephesians 4:29-30). – Engage in continual repentance when words misfire (1 John 1:9). Living it out • Psalm 19:14 models a Spirit-shaped desire: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD…” • As the new heart is daily renewed by Scripture and the Spirit, the tongue, once “full of deadly poison,” becomes an instrument of blessing (James 3:9-10; Proverbs 15:4). |
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