John Trapp on Psalms 12:4

Verſ. 4. Who have ſaid, with our tongues will wee prevail) Dictitant enim, this was a common word with them; And ſurely the tongue is a deſperate weapon, made in the form a flaming ſword, and elſewhere by David compared to a Tuck or Rapier, Pſal. 42. to a raſor alſo doing deceit, Pſal. 52. The Chalde Paraphraſt hath this Text thus, Becauſe wee can ſwear and lie, therefore wee ſhall prevail.

Our lips are our own] Heb. are with us, that is, wee have the command of our tongues, and have words at will; wee can ſpeak perſwaſively, and therefore wee doubt not to perſwade Saul to any thing againſt David. Socrates in his Apology, My Lords ſaid he to the Judges; I know not how you have been affected with mine adverſaries eloquence, while you heard them ſpeak; for mine own part, I aſſure you, that I, whom it toucheth moſt, was almoſt drawn to beleeve that all they ſaid, though againſt my ſelf, was true; when they ſcarcely uttered one word of truth. Caim Curio the Roman was ingenioſe nequam, wittily wicked;Patercul[illegible: 3 letters] and the Duke of Backingham in his ſpeech to the Londoners, for Rich. 3. gained this (though ſlender) commendation, that no man could deliver ſo much bad matter in ſo good words, and quaint phraſes.

Who is Lord over us?] ſc. to hinder us from ſpeaking what and when we liſt with fineneſſe and eloquence; though to the ſlaying of three at once, the tale-bearer, the tale-hearer, and the party traduced. R. Samuel Ben. Jochai hath this note upon the Text; A ſlanderous tongue is called Laſhon Tabithat, becauſe it ſlayeth three;Lingus [illegible: 1 word] but here it ſlew four, viz. Doeg, Saul, Nob the City of the Prieſts, and Abner, who ſuffered it ſo to be, 1. Sam. 22.