Psalm 59:7
New International Version
See what they spew from their mouths— the words from their lips are sharp as swords, and they think, “Who can hear us?”

New Living Translation
Listen to the filth that comes from their mouths; their words cut like swords. “After all, who can hear us?” they sneer.

English Standard Version
There they are, bellowing with their mouths with swords in their lips— for “Who,” they think, “will hear us?”

Berean Standard Bible
See what they spew from their mouths—sharp words from their lips: “For who can hear us?”

King James Bible
Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?

New King James Version
Indeed, they belch with their mouth; Swords are in their lips; For they say, “Who hears?”

New American Standard Bible
Behold, they gush forth with their mouths; Swords are in their lips, For, they say, “Who hears?”

NASB 1995
Behold, they belch forth with their mouth; Swords are in their lips, For, they say, “Who hears?”

NASB 1977
Behold, they belch forth with their mouth; Swords are in their lips, For, they say, “Who hears?”

Legacy Standard Bible
Behold, they pour forth speech with their mouth; Swords are in their lips, For, they say, “Who hears?”

Amplified Bible
Look how they belch out [insults] with their mouths; Swords [of sarcasm, ridicule, slander, and lies] are in their lips, For they say, “Who hears us?”

Christian Standard Bible
Look, they spew from their mouths — sharp words from their lips. “For who,” they say, “will hear? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Look, they spew from their mouths— sharp words from their lips.” For who,” they say, “will hear?”

American Standard Version
Behold, they belch out with their mouth; Swords are in their lips: For who, say they, doth hear?

Contemporary English Version
They curse, and their words cut like swords, as they say to themselves, "No one can hear us!"

English Revised Version
Behold, they belch out with their mouth; swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
See what pours out of their mouths- swords from their lips! [They think,] "Who will hear us?"

Good News Translation
Listen to their insults and threats. Their tongues are like swords in their mouths, yet they think that no one hears them.

International Standard Version
Look what pours out of their mouths! They use their lips like swords, saying "Who will hear us?"

Majority Standard Bible
See what they spew from their mouths—sharp words from their lips: “For who can hear us?”

NET Bible
Look, they hurl insults at me and openly threaten to kill me, for they say, "Who hears?"

New Heart English Bible
Look, they spew with their mouth. Swords are in their lips, "For," they say, "who hears us?"

Webster's Bible Translation
Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?

World English Bible
Behold, they spew with their mouth. Swords are in their lips, “For”, they say, “who hears us?”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Behold, they belch out with their mouths, "" Swords [are] in their lips, for “Who hears?”

Young's Literal Translation
Lo, they belch out with their mouths, Swords are in their lips, for 'Who heareth?'

Smith's Literal Translation
Behold, they will gush out with their mouth: swords in their lips: for who heard?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Behold they shall speak with their mouth, and a sword is in their lips: for who, say they, hath heard us ?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Behold, they will speak with their mouth, and a sword is in their lips: “For who has heard us?”

New American Bible
Their mouths pour out insult; sharp words are on their lips. They say: “Who is there to hear?”

New Revised Standard Version
There they are, bellowing with their mouths, with sharp words on their lips— for “Who,” they think, “will hear us?”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Behold, they belch out with their mouths; swords are in their lips; for who, say they, does care?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The speech of their mouths is a sword in their lips and they say, "Who hears?"
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Behold, they belch out with their mouth; Swords are in their lips: 'For who doth hear?'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Behold, they shall utter a voice with their mouth, and a sword is in their lips; for who, say they, has heard?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Deliver Me From My Enemies
6They return in the evening, snarling like dogs and prowling around the city. 7See what they spew from their mouths— sharp words from their lips: “For who can hear us?” 8But You, O LORD, laugh at them; You scoff at all the nations.…

Cross References
Proverbs 10:31-32
The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out. / The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked is perverse.

Proverbs 12:13
An evil man is trapped by his rebellious speech, but a righteous man escapes from trouble.

Proverbs 15:2
The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool spouts folly.

Proverbs 18:6-7
A fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating. / A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul.

Proverbs 26:28
A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth causes ruin.

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

Psalm 12:2-4
They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart. / May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue. / They say, “With our tongues we will prevail. We own our lips—who can be our master?”

Psalm 64:3-4
who sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their bitter words like arrows, / ambushing the innocent in seclusion, shooting suddenly, without fear.

Psalm 140:3
They sharpen their tongues like snakes; the venom of vipers is on their lips. Selah

Isaiah 59:3
For your hands are stained with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters injustice.

Jeremiah 9:3-8
“They bend their tongues like bows; lies prevail over truth in the land. For they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not take Me into account,” declares the LORD. / “Let everyone guard against his neighbor; do not trust any brother, for every brother deals craftily, and every friend spreads slander. / Each one betrays his friend; no one tells the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie; they wear themselves out committing iniquity. ...

Matthew 12:34-37
You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. / The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure. / But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. ...

Matthew 15:18-19
But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man. / For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.

Mark 7:21-23
For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, / greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness. / All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man.”

Luke 6:45
The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.


Treasury of Scripture

Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, does hear?

belch

Proverbs 15:2
The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.

Matthew 12:34
O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

swords

Psalm 55:21
The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.

Psalm 57:4
My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

Psalm 64:3-5
Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words: …

who

Psalm 10:11,13
He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it

Psalm 73:11
And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?

Psalm 94:7-9
Yet they say, The LORD shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it

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Attention Curses Dropping Forth Gives Hate Hear Heareth Hears Lips Mouth Mouths Snarling Spew Swords Think Tongues
Psalm 59
1. David prays to be delivered from his enemies
6. He complains of their cruelty
8. He trusts in god
11. He prays against them
16. He praises God














See what they spew from their mouths
The imagery here is vivid and visceral, evoking a sense of disgust and violence. The Hebrew word for "spew" is "נָבַע" (nava), which can mean to gush forth or pour out. This suggests an uncontrolled, almost natural outpouring of malice and deceit. In the historical context, this reflects the behavior of David's enemies, who were relentless in their verbal attacks. Theologically, it serves as a reminder of the power of words and the destructive potential of unchecked speech, echoing James 3:6, which describes the tongue as a fire.

sharp words from their lips
The phrase "sharp words" translates from the Hebrew "חֲרָבוֹת" (charavot), meaning swords. This metaphor highlights the lethal nature of their speech, equating words with weapons. In the ancient Near Eastern context, words were often seen as having tangible power, capable of blessing or cursing. This aligns with Proverbs 12:18, which states, "The words of the reckless pierce like swords." The psalmist is emphasizing the intentional harm these words are meant to inflict, a reflection of the spiritual warfare believers face.

For who can hear us?
This rhetorical question reveals the arrogance and perceived impunity of the wicked. The Hebrew "שָׁמַע" (shama) means to hear or listen, but it also implies understanding or heeding. The enemies believe their actions and words go unnoticed, perhaps even by God. This reflects a common biblical theme where the wicked assume they are beyond divine justice, as seen in Psalm 10:11, "He says to himself, 'God has forgotten; He hides His face and never sees.'" Theologically, this challenges believers to trust in God's omniscience and justice, knowing that nothing escapes His notice.

(7) Behold.--Without question this word should, as Mr. Burgess suggests, be emended to "spears" (chanith instead of hinneh), to give--

"Spears they pour out with their mouths,

Swords with their lips."

(Comp. Psalm 57:5, and

"She speaks poniards."--As You Like It.

Verse 7. - Behold, they belch out with their mouth. All night long they keep uttering abuse and execrations and threats (comp. Psalm 94:4). Swords are in their lips (comp. Psalm 57:4). Speeches that wound and cut to the heart. For who, say they, doth hear! (comp. Psalm 10:11-13; Psalm 64:5; Psalm 73:11; Psalm 94:7). They think themselves irresponsible for their words. No one will hear or know what they say.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
See what
הִנֵּ֤ה ׀ (hin·nêh)
Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

they spew
יַבִּ֘יע֤וּן (yab·bî·‘ūn)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun
Strong's 5042: To gush forth, to utter, to emit

from their mouths—
בְּפִיהֶ֗ם (bə·p̄î·hem)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to

sharp words
חֲ֭רָבוֹת (ḥă·rā·ḇō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

from their lips:
בְּשִׂפְתוֹתֵיהֶ֑ם (bə·śip̄·ṯō·w·ṯê·hem)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8193: The lip, language, a margin

“For
כִּי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

who
מִ֥י (mî)
Interrogative
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

can hear us?”
שֹׁמֵֽעַ׃ (šō·mê·a‘)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently


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OT Poetry: Psalm 59:7 Behold they spew with their mouth (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 59:6
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