“Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.”
My Notes
What Does Psalms 5:6 Mean?
David declares that God destroys those who speak "leasing" (an old English word for lies/falsehood) and abhors the "bloody and deceitful man." The pairing of violence ("bloody") and dishonesty ("deceitful") suggests that in David's experience, these two sins travel together. Those who deceive usually harm, and those who harm usually lie about it.
The word "abhor" (ta'av) is strong — it means to loathe, to be disgusted by. God doesn't merely disapprove of violence and deception; he is viscerally repulsed by them. The blood-and-deceit combination represents the complete corruption of both action (violence) and speech (lies), touching everything a person can do.
The verb "destroy" (abad) is in the imperfect tense, indicating ongoing divine action — God continually, habitually destroys liars. This isn't a one-time judgment but a constant reality. Falsehood is never stable because the God who is truth is always working against it.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Where in your life do lies and harm travel together — even in subtle forms?
- 2.How honest is the impression you create through your words compared to your actual reality?
- 3.What does God's 'abhorrence' of deception reveal about how seriously he takes truth?
- 4.Where might you be practicing 'leasing' — half-truths or misleading impressions — without recognizing it?
Devotional
God abhors the bloody and deceitful person. Not disapproves — abhors. The strongest language of revulsion the Psalms can summon is applied to the combination of violence and lies.
These two sins are paired because they always run together. The person who deceives eventually harms. The person who harms always needs to deceive to cover it. Violence needs lies for protection, and lies need violence for enforcement. When David names "the bloody and deceitful man" as a single category, he's describing a person whose entire life — actions and words — is corrupted.
The word "leasing" (lies/falsehood) is broader than outright lying. It includes half-truths, strategic omissions, misleading impressions, and deliberately constructed narratives that serve your interests while distorting reality. God's revulsion isn't reserved for bold-faced liars; it extends to everyone who uses language to construct false reality.
This verse should make you thoughtful about your own speech. Not just whether you lie, but whether you use words to create impressions that aren't true. Do you curate a version of yourself that doesn't match reality? Do you tell the truth technically while misleading practically? God's standard isn't just the absence of lies — it's the presence of truth.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Thou shall destroy them that speak leasing,.... Or "a lie" (i); whether in matters of religion; as false doctrines,…
Thou shalt destroy - Thou wilt bring to ruin; thou wilt cause to perish; that is, cause to perish as the wicked are…
The title of this psalm has nothing in it peculiar but that it is said to be upon Nehiloth, a word nowhere else used. It…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture