Psalms 12:3

“The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, etc.] This is either a prophecy or a prayer, as Aben Ezra and Kimchi observe; that God either would or should cut off such who used flattery with their lips, by inflicting some judgment in this life, or everlasting punishment hereafter; by taking them away by death “out of the world”, as the Targum paraphrases it; or by casting them into hell, where all liars and deceitful persons will have their portion; (see <183221>Job 32:21,22); [and] the tongue that speaketh proud things, or “great things” f205, as the little horn, (<270720>Daniel 7:20,25); and the beast, or Romish antichrist, who is designed by both, (<661305>Revelation 13:5,6); and which…”

“Boasting (Dan 7:25) is, like flattery, a species of lying. lips, and . . . tongue--for persons.”

“The Lord shall cut off - This might be rendered, “May the Lord cut off,” implying a wish on the part of the psalmist that it might occur. But probably the common rendering is the correct one. It is the statement of a solemn truth, designed for warning, that all such persons would be punished. All flattering lips - The meaning is, that he will cut off all “persons” who use flattery; that is, he will cut them off from the favors which he will show to his own people, or will punish them. The word used here is the common one to denote disowning or excommunicating, and derives its meaning from the act of separating offenders from a community. See Genesis 17:14; Leviticus 17:10; Leviticus 18:29;…”

“cut: Job 32:22 tongue: Psa 17:10, Psa 73:8, Psa 73:9; Exo 15:9; Sa1 2:3, Sa1 17:43, Sa1 17:44; Kg2 19:23, Kg2 19:24; Isa 10:10; Eze 28:2, Eze 28:9, Eze 29:3; Dan 4:30, Dan 4:31, Dan 7:8, Dan 7:25; Mal 3:13; Pe2 2:18; Jde 1:16; Rev 13:5 proud: Heb. great, Pro 18:21 Psalms 12:4”

“(Heb.: 12:4-5) In this instance the voluntative has its own proper signification: may He root out (cf. Psa 109:15, and the oppositive Psa 11:6). Flattering lips and a vaunting tongue are one, insofar as the braggart becomes a flatterer when it serves his own selfish interest. אשׁר refers to lips and tongue, which are put for their possessors. The Hiph. הגבּיר may mean either to impart strength, or to give proof of strength. The combination with ל, not בּ, favours the former: we will give emphasis to our tongue (this is their self-confident declaration). Hupfeld renders it, contrary to the meaning of the Hiph.: over our tongue we have power, and Ewald and Olshausen, on the ground of an…”