psalm 12 chiastic structure

Read Psalm 12 at Bible Gateway.

Psalm 12 Hebrew paragraph divisions:

Psa 12:1 Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.
Psa 12:2 They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
Psa 12:3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, And the tongue that speaks proud things,
Psa 12:4 Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; Who is lord over us?”
Psa 12:5a “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, {n}
Psa 12:5b Now I will arise,” says the Lord, “I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.”
Psa 12:6a The words of the Lord are pure words, {n}
Psa 12:6b Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times.
Psa 12:7 You shall keep them, O Lord, You shall preserve them from this generation forever.
Psa 12:8 The wicked prowl on every side, When vileness is exalted among the sons of men. {p}

Psalm 12 chiastic structure:

1A) Psa 12:1 The decrease of the godly + faithful among the sons of men;

1B) Psa 12:2-4 The idle/ flattering & proud lips of the ungodly;

1C) Psa 12:5a {n} “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy;

CENTRAL AXIS) Psa 12:5b Now I will arise,” says the LORD;

2C) Psa 12:5c “I will set him in the safety for which he yearns;”

2B) Psa 12:6-7 The pure/ tried & trustworthy words of the LORD;

2A) Psa 12:8 {p} The increase of the wicked when vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

The decrease of the godly and faithful among men, and the increase of the wicked when vileness is exalted among men, is a depressing state of affairs, and is like the state we find in our society today. But there is one silver lining. It will not go on like this forever. That is the point at which God says, “Now I will arise.” He will intervene to correct the injustice done to the poor, needy, fatherless, and oppressed.

I think He has more than one way of intervening. It does not necessarily mean, the Lord Jesus returning in glory as King of kings and Lord of lords (although that will happen). He can arise in His people, by sparking revivals which fundamentally change the culture. He can place key people in key positions to effect change and then save them to the uttermost. At any rate, we can rest assured that deliverance will come.