What is the meaning of Psalm 64:3? Sharpen Their Tongues Like Swords The picture is vivid: enemies “sharpen” their tongues. Just as a warrior runs metal along a whetstone, these people consciously prepare their speech to injure. Psalm 64:3 shows that verbal attacks are not accidental but intentional. • Purposeful preparation – Ecclesiastes 10:12 reminds us that “the lips of a fool consume him,” yet David says here the fool wants to consume others. – Proverbs 12:18 confirms, “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” • Lethal potential – Scripture equates words with life-and-death power (Proverbs 18:21). – James 3:6 adds that the tongue, when set on fire by hell, “corrupts the whole body.” • Moral accountability – Matthew 12:36 warns that “men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.” – Psalm 52:2 indicts Doeg the Edomite: “Your tongue devises destruction, like a sharpened razor.” Aim Their Bitter Words Like Arrows Once the tongues are honed, the next verb is “aim.” The hostile crowd acts like seasoned archers selecting targets and timing their release. • Precision in malice – Proverbs 26:18-19 compares the reckless man to an archer shooting firebrands. These foes are worse: they know exactly whom they wish to wound. – Jeremiah 9:8 laments, “Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceit.” • Poison-tipped ammunition – The words are “bitter,” drenched in venom. Romans 3:14 echoes, “Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” – Psalm 140:3 states, “They sharpen their tongues like serpents; the venom of vipers is under their lips.” • Far-reaching impact – Arrows travel beyond immediate reach, illustrating how slander can spread. Ephesians 6:16 calls gossip and accusation “flaming arrows of the evil one,” requiring the shield of faith. – Proverbs 16:28 warns, “A perverse man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.” Summary Psalm 64:3 lays bare the anatomy of malicious speech. First comes deliberate sharpening—people preparing their tongues like steel, choosing cutting phrases. Then comes careful aiming—selecting the right moment to launch bitter, wounding words that fly farther than any sword can reach. Scripture consistently portrays this behavior as sinful, destructive, and ultimately subject to God’s righteous judgment. Wise believers respond by guarding their own tongues, trusting the Lord to defend them from verbal assault, and remembering that every word carries eternal weight. |
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