Psalms 120:3

“What shall be given unto thee? etc.] Or, “what shall [it] give unto thee?”f1718 That is, what shall the deceitful tongue give unto thee, O my soul? or to thee, to anyone that hears and reads this psalm? It is capable of giving thee a deal of trouble, of doing thee a deal of mischief; and of injuring thy character, and hurting thy peace and comfort, if permitted; or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue? or, “what shall the false tongue add unto thee?”f1719 it shall increase thy sorrows and distress: or rather, what gain, profit, and advantage, shall the deceitful tongue get to itself by its lies and deceit? none at all; it may do harm to others, but gets no good to itself; (see…”

“What shall be given unto thee? - Margin, “What shall the deceitful tongue give unto thee;” or, “what shall it profit thee?” Luther, “What can the false tongue do?” Others render this, “How will God punish thee?” Others, “What will he (God) give to thee?” That is, What recompence can you expect from God for these malignant calumnies? A literal translation of this verse would be, “What shall the tongue of deceit give to thee, and what shall it add to thee?” - referring to the offender himself. The essential idea is, What will be the result of such conduct? What must be expected to follow from it? That is, either (a) from the unprofitableness of such a course; or (b) from the natural…”

“120:3-4 The psalmist dialogues with the liars who surround him. He feels reassured that the Lord will judge them. • The Divine Warrior (see 7:12-13; 11:4-6) will throw sharp arrows and glowing coals on the liars.”

“What shall: etc. or, What shall the deceitful tongue give unto thee, or, What shall it profit thee, Job 27:8; Mat 16:26; Rom 6:21 done: Heb. added Psalms 120:4”