His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.
Psalm 10:7 exposes the speech of the wicked man. David has already shown his pride, oppression, boasting, covetous approval, and refusal to seek after God (vv.2-4). God is not in all his thoughts (v.4), and therefore God is not governing his words. The corruption within comes out by the mouth. The wicked man’s speech is full of cursing, deceit, fraud, mischief, and vanity.
“His mouth.” The mouth is named for the man’s speech. This is the member by which his inward wickedness is uttered. His heart has already been exposed: he boasts of his heart’s desire (v.3), refuses to seek God (v.4), and thinks he shall never be moved (v.6). Now his mouth reveals the same man. Jesus taught that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). Psalm 10:7 proves it. A proud and godless heart produces a corrupt mouth.
This is one of the great repeated lessons of the Psalms. The mouth, lips, and tongue are often used to describe a man’s words, because speech gives visible expression to the soul. The righteous man’s mouth may declare God’s praise, His judgments, His works, and His righteousness (Psalm 35:28; 66:16; 107:2; 119:13). But the wicked man’s mouth becomes an instrument of sin. Psalm 10:7 shows the darker side: speech as the overflow of a heart without God.
“Is full.” This word shows abundance. The wicked man’s mouth is not accidentally touched by one sinful word. It is full. Cursing, deceit, and fraud fill it as water fills a vessel. There is no holy restraint, no fear of God, no reverent watch at the door of his lips. The contents of his heart have filled his speech. Paul later gathers the same truth in his indictment of mankind: “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness” (Romans 3:14).
A full mouth also shows habitual character. Every man may stumble in word, and Moses himself once spoke unadvisedly with his lips when provoked (Psalm 106:33; James 3:2). But Psalm 10:7 describes the settled speech of the wicked. His mouth is stocked with evil. His common words, plans, boasts, threats, and dealings carry the marks of a corrupt heart.
“Of cursing.” Cursing is speech that wishes, invokes, or speaks evil. It may be directed against God by blasphemy, against men by malice, or against the righteous by hatred. The wicked man’s mouth does not bless according to truth; it curses according to sin. James warns that the same mouth should not bless God and curse men made after the similitude of God (James 3:9-10). The wicked man feels no such contradiction. His mouth is at home in cursing.
This connects to his pride. A man who will not seek God will not fear God’s judgment on his words. He curses because he thinks too highly of himself and too lightly of God. His countenance is proud (v.4), his ways are grievous (v.5), and his mouth fits the same pattern. Where God is absent from the thoughts, cursing enters easily into the speech.
“And deceit.” Deceit is speech designed to mislead. It hides truth, bends facts, conceals motives, and presents falsehood under a useful shape. The wicked man does not speak plainly in the fear of God. He uses words to gain advantage, escape blame, cover sin, flatter hearers, confuse the simple, or harm the righteous. “The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good” (Psalm 36:3).
Deceit is especially dangerous because it may sound reasonable. It does not always roar. It may whisper. It may ask questions, offer concern, speak softly, or use religious language. The serpent deceived Eve by words that questioned and contradicted God (Genesis 3:1-5). Judas betrayed Christ with friendly speech and a kiss (Matthew 26:48-49). Deceitful words are not measured by smoothness, but by whether they serve truth.
“And fraud.” Fraud adds treachery, cheating, and injury to deceit. It is the speech of a man who uses words to take what is not his, to rob another of truth, reputation, peace, property, or justice. A fraudulent mouth is not content to be false; it uses falsehood for gain and harm. The wicked man in Psalm 10 is an oppressor, and fraud belongs with oppression. He persecutes the poor, plots devices, and lies in wait to catch the poor (vv.2,8-10). His mouth helps his violence.
This is a fearful lesson. Before the wicked hand strikes, the wicked mouth often prepares the way. Naboth was murdered after false witnesses were arranged against him (1 Kings 21:10-13). The chief priests and elders sought false witness against Jesus to put Him to death (Matthew 26:59-60). Fraudulent speech can steal life, justice, peace, and a good name. God sees such words as part of the crime.
“Under his tongue.” The figure now changes slightly. The mouth is full, and under the tongue something is hidden. The tongue is named again as the instrument of words. To have mischief and vanity under the tongue suggests concealed evil ready to be released. It is not all spoken at once. It lies there, waiting for opportunity. Psalm 140:3 uses similar language: “adders’ poison is under their lips.” Wicked speech often has hidden venom.
This phrase should make men fear secret motives in speech. A man may hold a sentence under his tongue until the moment will do most harm. He may hide an accusation until it can wound more deeply. He may keep a lie ready until gain requires it. He may preserve flattering words until they purchase advantage. Jehovah sees not only what comes out of the mouth, but what lies under the tongue before it is spoken.
“Is mischief.” Mischief is harmful design. The wicked man’s tongue carries trouble for others. His words are not neutral. They create confusion, spread injury, strengthen sin, and disturb the righteous. Earlier David said the wicked in his pride persecutes the poor and imagines devices (v.2). Verse 7 shows that those devices are not only in plans and actions, but in words. Mischief lies under his tongue.
The righteous must learn from this. Not every harmful word looks violent when first spoken. Mischief may be hidden in a question, a report, a hint, a joke, a complaint, or a flattering sentence. Words can unsettle a home, divide brethren, weaken confidence, stir suspicion, and encourage sin. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). A tongue with mischief under it is a dangerous weapon.
“And vanity.” Vanity is emptiness, falsehood, worthlessness, and that which cannot profit. The wicked man’s tongue is not only harmful; it is empty of truth and lasting good. He speaks from a mind where God is not honoured. Therefore, his words may sound confident, clever, strong, or useful, but they are vain. They cannot guide the soul, please God, or stand in judgment.
Vanity also fits the whole life of the wicked man. He boasts of desire, blesses covetousness, refuses God, trusts in his own stability, and speaks corruptly (vv.3-7). But all of it is vanity. His success is temporary. His words are passing breath. His schemes will fail before the LORD who sees them. The psalm later prays, “Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble” (v.12). God will not let vain and mischievous words rule forever.
This verse warns against judging speech only by outward polish. A wicked man may speak with confidence, humour, education, religious phrase, or worldly charm, while his mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and fraud. He may hide mischief and vanity under his tongue while appearing careful. God judges the contents, not the style. “The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things” (Psalm 12:3).
The verse also calls for self-examination. What fills my mouth? What lies under my tongue? Are my words truthful, clean, profitable, and governed by the fear of God? Or do I keep sharp replies, flattering phrases, half-truths, accusations, and vain talk ready for use? David prayed, “Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3). Psalm 10:7 shows why such prayer is necessary.
There is comfort for the righteous oppressed by such speech. The LORD hears every curse, knows every deceit, weighs every fraud, sees every hidden mischief, and despises every vanity. The poor may be caught by the wicked for a time (v.9), but the wicked mouth is not beyond divine judgment. God will arise for the humble and judge the fatherless and oppressed (vv.12,17-18).
Jesus Christ is the perfect opposite of Psalm 10:7. God was always in His thoughts. The Father’s will governed His heart, and therefore truth governed His mouth. His words were gracious, searching, faithful, and clean (Luke 4:22; John 8:45-46). He exposed deceit without using deceit. He warned sinners without cursing sinfully. He answered enemies without fraud. When wicked men filled their mouths against Him with false witness and mockery, He committed Himself to Him that judges righteously (1 Peter 2:23).
Psalm 10:7 therefore gives a dark portrait of the wicked man’s speech. His mouth is full, and what fills it is evil. His tongue is loaded, and what lies under it is mischief and vanity. Let no saint treat words lightly. The mouth reveals the heart, serves either sin or God, and will be judged by the Lord. Let the wicked man’s mouth make us fear corrupt speech, and let the righteous seek lips filled with truth, praise, thanksgiving, and the fear of Jehovah.
His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.
Psalm 10:7 exposes the speech of the wicked man. David has already shown his pride, oppression, boasting, covetous approval, and refusal to seek after God (vv.2-4). God is not in all his thoughts (v.4), and therefore God is not governing his words. The corruption within comes out by the mouth. The wicked man’s speech is full of cursing, deceit, fraud, mischief, and vanity.
“His mouth.” The mouth is named for the man’s speech. This is the member by which his inward wickedness is uttered. His heart has already been exposed: he boasts of his heart’s desire (v.3), refuses to seek God (v.4), and thinks he shall never be moved (v.6). Now his mouth reveals the same man. Jesus taught that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). Psalm 10:7 proves it. A proud and godless heart produces a corrupt mouth.
This is one of the great repeated lessons of the Psalms. The mouth, lips, and tongue are often used to describe a man’s words, because speech gives visible expression to the soul. The righteous man’s mouth may declare God’s praise, His judgments, His works, and His righteousness (Psalm 35:28; 66:16; 107:2; 119:13). But the wicked man’s mouth becomes an instrument of sin. Psalm 10:7 shows the darker side: speech as the overflow of a heart without God.
“Is full.” This word shows abundance. The wicked man’s mouth is not accidentally touched by one sinful word. It is full. Cursing, deceit, and fraud fill it as water fills a vessel. There is no holy restraint, no fear of God, no reverent watch at the door of his lips. The contents of his heart have filled his speech. Paul later gathers the same truth in his indictment of mankind: “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness” (Romans 3:14).
A full mouth also shows habitual character. Every man may stumble in word, and Moses himself once spoke unadvisedly with his lips when provoked (Psalm 106:33; James 3:2). But Psalm 10:7 describes the settled speech of the wicked. His mouth is stocked with evil. His common words, plans, boasts, threats, and dealings carry the marks of a corrupt heart.
“Of cursing.” Cursing is speech that wishes, invokes, or speaks evil. It may be directed against God by blasphemy, against men by malice, or against the righteous by hatred. The wicked man’s mouth does not bless according to truth; it curses according to sin. James warns that the same mouth should not bless God and curse men made after the similitude of God (James 3:9-10). The wicked man feels no such contradiction. His mouth is at home in cursing.
This connects to his pride. A man who will not seek God will not fear God’s judgment on his words. He curses because he thinks too highly of himself and too lightly of God. His countenance is proud (v.4), his ways are grievous (v.5), and his mouth fits the same pattern. Where God is absent from the thoughts, cursing enters easily into the speech.
“And deceit.” Deceit is speech designed to mislead. It hides truth, bends facts, conceals motives, and presents falsehood under a useful shape. The wicked man does not speak plainly in the fear of God. He uses words to gain advantage, escape blame, cover sin, flatter hearers, confuse the simple, or harm the righteous. “The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good” (Psalm 36:3).
Deceit is especially dangerous because it may sound reasonable. It does not always roar. It may whisper. It may ask questions, offer concern, speak softly, or use religious language. The serpent deceived Eve by words that questioned and contradicted God (Genesis 3:1-5). Judas betrayed Christ with friendly speech and a kiss (Matthew 26:48-49). Deceitful words are not measured by smoothness, but by whether they serve truth.
“And fraud.” Fraud adds treachery, cheating, and injury to deceit. It is the speech of a man who uses words to take what is not his, to rob another of truth, reputation, peace, property, or justice. A fraudulent mouth is not content to be false; it uses falsehood for gain and harm. The wicked man in Psalm 10 is an oppressor, and fraud belongs with oppression. He persecutes the poor, plots devices, and lies in wait to catch the poor (vv.2,8-10). His mouth helps his violence.
This is a fearful lesson. Before the wicked hand strikes, the wicked mouth often prepares the way. Naboth was murdered after false witnesses were arranged against him (1 Kings 21:10-13). The chief priests and elders sought false witness against Jesus to put Him to death (Matthew 26:59-60). Fraudulent speech can steal life, justice, peace, and a good name. God sees such words as part of the crime.
“Under his tongue.” The figure now changes slightly. The mouth is full, and under the tongue something is hidden. The tongue is named again as the instrument of words. To have mischief and vanity under the tongue suggests concealed evil ready to be released. It is not all spoken at once. It lies there, waiting for opportunity. Psalm 140:3 uses similar language: “adders’ poison is under their lips.” Wicked speech often has hidden venom.
This phrase should make men fear secret motives in speech. A man may hold a sentence under his tongue until the moment will do most harm. He may hide an accusation until it can wound more deeply. He may keep a lie ready until gain requires it. He may preserve flattering words until they purchase advantage. Jehovah sees not only what comes out of the mouth, but what lies under the tongue before it is spoken.
“Is mischief.” Mischief is harmful design. The wicked man’s tongue carries trouble for others. His words are not neutral. They create confusion, spread injury, strengthen sin, and disturb the righteous. Earlier David said the wicked in his pride persecutes the poor and imagines devices (v.2). Verse 7 shows that those devices are not only in plans and actions, but in words. Mischief lies under his tongue.
The righteous must learn from this. Not every harmful word looks violent when first spoken. Mischief may be hidden in a question, a report, a hint, a joke, a complaint, or a flattering sentence. Words can unsettle a home, divide brethren, weaken confidence, stir suspicion, and encourage sin. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). A tongue with mischief under it is a dangerous weapon.
“And vanity.” Vanity is emptiness, falsehood, worthlessness, and that which cannot profit. The wicked man’s tongue is not only harmful; it is empty of truth and lasting good. He speaks from a mind where God is not honoured. Therefore, his words may sound confident, clever, strong, or useful, but they are vain. They cannot guide the soul, please God, or stand in judgment.
Vanity also fits the whole life of the wicked man. He boasts of desire, blesses covetousness, refuses God, trusts in his own stability, and speaks corruptly (vv.3-7). But all of it is vanity. His success is temporary. His words are passing breath. His schemes will fail before the LORD who sees them. The psalm later prays, “Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble” (v.12). God will not let vain and mischievous words rule forever.
This verse warns against judging speech only by outward polish. A wicked man may speak with confidence, humour, education, religious phrase, or worldly charm, while his mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and fraud. He may hide mischief and vanity under his tongue while appearing careful. God judges the contents, not the style. “The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things” (Psalm 12:3).
The verse also calls for self-examination. What fills my mouth? What lies under my tongue? Are my words truthful, clean, profitable, and governed by the fear of God? Or do I keep sharp replies, flattering phrases, half-truths, accusations, and vain talk ready for use? David prayed, “Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3). Psalm 10:7 shows why such prayer is necessary.
There is comfort for the righteous oppressed by such speech. The LORD hears every curse, knows every deceit, weighs every fraud, sees every hidden mischief, and despises every vanity. The poor may be caught by the wicked for a time (v.9), but the wicked mouth is not beyond divine judgment. God will arise for the humble and judge the fatherless and oppressed (vv.12,17-18).
Jesus Christ is the perfect opposite of Psalm 10:7. God was always in His thoughts. The Father’s will governed His heart, and therefore truth governed His mouth. His words were gracious, searching, faithful, and clean (Luke 4:22; John 8:45-46). He exposed deceit without using deceit. He warned sinners without cursing sinfully. He answered enemies without fraud. When wicked men filled their mouths against Him with false witness and mockery, He committed Himself to Him that judges righteously (1 Peter 2:23).
Psalm 10:7 therefore gives a dark portrait of the wicked man’s speech. His mouth is full, and what fills it is evil. His tongue is loaded, and what lies under it is mischief and vanity. Let no saint treat words lightly. The mouth reveals the heart, serves either sin or God, and will be judged by the Lord. Let the wicked man’s mouth make us fear corrupt speech, and let the righteous seek lips filled with truth, praise, thanksgiving, and the fear of Jehovah.