Psalms 120:3

My Notes

What Does Psalms 120:3 Mean?

The psalmist addresses the "false tongue" directly, asking rhetorically: what will you gain from your deception? What reward will come from your lies? The implied answer is: nothing good. The margin note offers an alternative reading: "What shall the deceitful tongue give unto thee?" Either way, the question exposes the futility of habitual deception.

This verse comes from a psalm of ascent—one of the songs pilgrims sang while traveling to Jerusalem for festival worship. The psalmist is living among people whose primary weapon is deception. He's surrounded by false tongues, and his song acknowledges the weariness of that environment.

The question format—"what shall be done unto thee?"—carries an implicit threat of divine judgment. The false tongue will receive something, but it won't be the reward the liar expects. The next verse answers: "Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper." God's response to the lying tongue is piercing judgment and consuming fire.

Reflection Questions

• 1.Have you been exhausted by living among deceptive people? How do you cope with the weariness of constant dishonesty around you?
• 2.If you're honest, where does deception show up in your own communication—even in small, 'harmless' forms?
• 3.What do you think the false tongue actually gains? What's the real cost of habitual deception?
• 4.How do you trust God to handle the liars in your life rather than trying to fight deception with your own strategies?

Devotional

"What shall be given unto thee, thou false tongue?" The psalmist is asking the liar: what do you think this will get you? What's the payoff? You've been lying and deceiving—what has it actually earned you?

The answer, according to the next verse, is sharp arrows and burning coals. The currency of deception is self-destruction. The liar may think they're gaining advantage, but what they're actually accumulating is judgment. Every lie is a deposit into an account that will come due.

If you've been on the receiving end of someone's lying tongue—if you've lived with deception, been smeared by false reports, or been exhausted by the constant manipulation of someone who can't stop lying—this psalm is for a weary traveler. The psalmist is tired. He's been living among deceptive people and he's worn out by it. He doesn't have the energy to fight back. So he asks God the question and lets God provide the answer.

And if you're tempted toward deception yourself—small lies, half-truths, strategic omissions—this question is for you too. What will it get you? Really? In the long run, what does the false tongue earn? The psalmist's answer is sobering: arrows and fire. The short-term gain of deception is always outweighed by its long-term cost.

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture