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Good News Translation

Psalms 12:6

The promises of the Lord can be trusted; they are as genuine as silver refined seven times in the furnace.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Furnace;   Purity;   Seven;   Word of God;   Thompson Chain Reference - Bible, the;   God's Word;   Purity;   Silver;   Word;   Word of God;   Word, God's;   The Topic Concordance - Purity;   Trial;   Word of God;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Scriptures, the;   Silver;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Seven;   Sheminith;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Seven;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Word;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Furnace;   Seven;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Bible;   Inspiration;   Mines;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Purity-Purification;   Silver;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - English Versions;   Furnace;   Greek Versions of Ot;   Judges (1);   Meshech;   Psalms;   Sin;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Magnificat;   Psalms (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Silver;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Musician;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Psalms the book of;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Mines, Mining;   Number;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Furnace;   Pure (and forms);   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Seven;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bible, the;   Furnace;   Joy;   Music;   Number;   Psalms, Book of;   Silver;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Salvation;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for October 9;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The words of the Lord are pure words,like silver refined in an earthen furnace,purified seven times.
Hebrew Names Version
The words of the LORD are flawless words, As silver refined in a clay furnace, purified seven times.
King James Version
The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
English Standard Version
The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.
New Century Version
The Lord 's words are pure, like silver purified by fire, like silver purified seven times over.
New English Translation
The Lord 's words are absolutely reliable. They are as untainted as silver purified in a furnace on the ground, where it is thoroughly refined.
Amplified Bible
The words and promises of the LORD are pure words, Like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times.
New American Standard Bible
The words of the LORD are pure words; Like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, filtered seven times.
World English Bible
The words of Yahweh are flawless words, As silver refined in a clay furnace, purified seven times.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The wordes of the Lorde are pure wordes, as the siluer, tried in a fornace of earth, fined seuen folde.
Legacy Standard Bible
The words of Yahweh are pure words;As silver tried in a furnace on the ground, refined seven times.
Berean Standard Bible
The words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace, like gold purified sevenfold.
Contemporary English Version
Our Lord , you are true to your promises, and your word is like silver heated seven times in a fiery furnace.
Complete Jewish Bible
"Because the poor are oppressed, because the needy are groaning, I will now rise up," says Adonai , "and grant security to those whom they scorn."
Darby Translation
The words of Jehovah are pure words, silver tried in the furnace of earth, purified seven times.
Easy-to-Read Version
The Lord 's words are true and pure, like silver purified by fire, like silver melted seven times to make it perfectly pure.
George Lamsa Translation
The words of the LORD are pure words; as silver tried in a furnace on earth, they are purified seven times.
Lexham English Bible
The words of Yahweh are pure words like silver refined in the crucible on the ground, refined seven times.
Literal Translation
The Words of Jehovah are pure Words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The wordes of the LORDE are pure wordes: eue as ye syluer, which from earth is tried and purified vij. tymes in the fyre.
American Standard Version
The words of Jehovah are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, Purified seven times.
Bible in Basic English
The words of the Lord are true words: like silver tested by fire and burned clean seven times.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
'For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy,
King James Version (1611)
The wordes of the Lord are pure wordes: as siluer tried in a fornace of earth purified seuen times.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The wordes of God be wordes pure, as the siluer tryed in a furnace of earth: and purified seuen times.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
The oracles of the Lord are pure oracles; as silver tried in the fire, proved in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
English Revised Version
The words of the LORD are pure words; as silver tried in a furnace on the earth, purified seven times.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The spechis of the Lord ben chast spechis; siluer examynyd bi fier, preued fro erthe, purgid seuen fold.
Update Bible Version
The words of Yahweh are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, Purified seven times.
Webster's Bible Translation
The words of the LORD [are] pure words: [as] silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
New King James Version
The words of the LORD are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times.
New Living Translation
The Lord 's promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over.
New Life Bible
The words of the Lord are pure words. They are like silver that has been made pure seven times in a stove of earth.
New Revised Standard
The promises of the Lord are promises that are pure, silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The words of Yahweh, are words, that are pure, silver refined in a crucible of earth, purified seven times!
Douay-Rheims Bible
(11-7) The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried by the fire, purged from the earth, refined seven times.
Revised Standard Version
The promises of the LORD are promises that are pure, silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.
Young's Literal Translation
Sayings of Jehovah [are] pure sayings; Silver tried in a furnace of earth refined sevenfold.
THE MESSAGE
God's words are pure words, Pure silver words refined seven times In the fires of his word-kiln, Pure on earth as well as in heaven. God , keep us safe from their lies, From the wicked who stalk us with lies, From the wicked who collect honors For their wonderful lies.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The words of the Lord are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.

Contextual Overview

1 Help us, Lord ! There is not a good person left; honest people can no longer be found. 2 All of them lie to one another; they deceive each other with flattery. 3 Silence those flattering tongues, O Lord ! Close those boastful mouths that say, 4 "With our words we get what we want. We will say what we wish, and no one can stop us." 5 "But now I will come," says the Lord , "because the needy are oppressed and the persecuted groan in pain. I will give them the security they long for." 6 The promises of the Lord can be trusted; they are as genuine as silver refined seven times in the furnace. 7The wicked are everywhere, and everyone praises what is evil. Keep us always safe, O Lord , and preserve us from such people.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

words: Psalms 18:30, Psalms 19:8, Psalms 119:140, 2 Samuel 22:31, Proverbs 30:5

as silver: Psalms 66:10

Reciprocal: Genesis 21:1 - Sarah as Job 28:1 - where they fine it Psalms 33:4 - the word Psalms 56:4 - In God I will Proverbs 8:8 - All Proverbs 22:20 - General Proverbs 27:21 - the fining Isaiah 31:2 - arise Isaiah 45:19 - speak righteousness John 17:17 - word

Cross-References

Genesis 10:15
Canaan's sons—Sidon, the oldest, and Heth—were the ancestors of the peoples who bear their names.
Genesis 12:18
Then the king sent for Abram and asked him, "What have you done to me? Why didn't you tell me that she was your wife?
Genesis 12:19
Why did you say that she was your sister, and let me take her as my wife? Here is your wife; take her and get out!"
Genesis 13:7
So quarrels broke out between the men who took care of Abram's animals and those who took care of Lot's animals. (At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were still living in the land.)
Genesis 33:18
On his return from Mesopotamia Jacob arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan and set up his camp in a field near the city.
Genesis 34:2
When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, who was chief of that region, saw her, he took her and raped her.
Genesis 35:4
So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods that they had and also the earrings that they were wearing. He buried them beneath the oak tree near Shechem.
Deuteronomy 11:30
(These two mountains are west of the Jordan River in the territory of the Canaanites who live in the Jordan Valley. They are toward the west, not far from the sacred trees of Moreh near the town of Gilgal.)
Joshua 20:7
So, on the west side of the Jordan they set aside Kedesh in Galilee, in the hill country of Naphtali; Shechem, in the hill country of Ephraim; and Hebron, in the hill country of Judah.
Joshua 24:32
The body of Joseph, which the people of Israel had brought from Egypt, was buried at Shechem, in the piece of land that Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for a hundred pieces of silver. This land was inherited by Joseph's descendants.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The words of the Lord [are] pure words,.... This observation the psalmist makes in reference to what is just now said in Psalms 12:5:, and in opposition to the words of wicked men in Psalms 12:2; which are deceitful, sinful, and impure. The Scriptures are the words of God; and they are pure and holy, free from all human mixtures, and from all fraud and deceit; they are the Scriptures of truth. The promises are the words of God, and they are firm and stable, and always to be depended on, and are ever fulfilled, being yea and amen in Christ Jesus. The Gospel, and the doctrines of it, are the words of God; that is the sincere milk of the word, pure and incorrupt; as it is in itself, and as it is dispensed by the faithful ministers of it; and they are all according to godliness, and tend to encourage and promote purity and holiness of heart and life; See Proverbs 30:5;

[as] silver tried in a furnace of earth; they are as "silver" for worth and value; yea, they are more valuable than silver or gold,

Psalms 19:10. The Bible is a mine of rich treasure, and to be searched into as for it; the promises in it are exceeding precious; they are like apples of gold in pictures of silver, and yield more joy than the finding a great spoil. The doctrines of the Gospel are comparable to gold and silver and precious stones, and to be bought at any rate, but to be sold at none: and they are as silver "tried", which is pure, and free from dross. The words of men, of false teachers, are as dross and reprobate silver; but the words of the Lord are tried, and are pure, and free from all the dross of error and falsehood, Psalms 18:30. And they are as silver tried "in a furnace of earth", which some o render "by the Lord of the earth"; but the word rather signifies a furnace, or an refinery, in which metal is melted and purified; and may be applied to the Lord Jesus Christ in human nature, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and who came full fraught with the doctrines of the Gospel; and in whom they have been "tried", by his sufferings and death, and are found to be pure, solid, and substantial: or to the ministers of the Gospel, who have this treasure in earthen vessels, whose works and words and ministry are tried by many fiery trials, and abide: or to all the people of God in general, who dwelt in earthly tabernacles; and who, in the midst of various afflictions, have a comfortable and confirming evidence of the purity and truth of the words of God, of the promises of his covenant, and the doctrines of the Gospel;

purified seven times; that is, many times, Proverbs 24:16; and so completely and perfectly pure, and clear of all dross whatsoever, as silver so many times tried must needs be: and so the words of God are not only pure, but very pure, exceeding pure, Psalms 119:140.

o Vid. Jarchi, Kimchi, & Ben Melech in loc. so some in David de Pomis, Lexic. fol. 11. 1. taking ב in בעליל to be radical, and ל doubled as if it was בעל.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The words of the Lord - In contrast with the words of the persons referred to in Psalms 12:2-4. Their words were vanity, flattery, and falsehood; and no reliance could be placed on them. In contrast with these words, the words of the Lord were pure. They were to be relied on. All his sayings were true and faithful. The design is to bring his words into contrast with the sayings of such men, and to show how much more safety there is in relying on his promises than on the promises made by such men. Man failed, but God would not. Reliance could not be placed on the words of even the professedly “godly” and “faithful” Psalms 12:1, but entire confidence might be placed in the words of Yahweh. All his words were true, pure, faithful, so that even when his own professed friends failed, and confidence could be placed in them, yet there was still reason for unwavering confidence in God himself.

Are pure words - That is, they are without any mixture of falsehood - for this idea is implied in the comparison which the psalmist makes when he says that they are like silver purified in the furnace, that is, from which all the dross has been removed.

As silver tried in a furnace of earth - The word here rendered “furnace” properly means a workshop. Perhaps it corresponds nearly with our word “laboratory,” as the term is now used by chemists. It evidently refers to some place where the metal was tried and purified. The words rendered “of earth” literally mean “on the earth,” or “in the earth?” The language does not mean that the “furnace” was “made” of earth, as would seem to be implied in our version, but that the “furnace” or laboratory was erected on the earth, or in the earth. It may refer to something like a crucible placed on the ground, around which a fire of intense heat could be made. It is probable that some such structure would be made near the mines where ore was obtained, and that the ore would be thus purified from dross before it was removed.

Purified seven times - By passing it seven times - that is, very often - through the fire. The word “seven” in the Scriptures denotes a complete or perfect number, and is often used to denote frequency. The idea here would seem to be that the process was repeated until the silver became entirely pure. The sense is, that the words of the Lord are “perfectly pure.” There is no admixture of falsehood in his statements; there is no deception in his promises; there is no flattery in what he says. This was the ground of confidence on the part of the psalmist - that while men (even those who professed to be good men) so failed that no reliance could be placed on their statements, the most perfect trust could be reposed on all the statements of God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 12:6. The words of the Lord are pure words — None of his promises shall fall to the ground; the salvation which he has promised shall be communicated.

Silver tried in a furnace of earth — A reference to the purification of silver by the cupel. This is a sort of instrument used in the purification of silver. It may be formed out of a strong iron ring or hoop, adjusted in width and depth to the quantum of silver to be purified, and rammed full of well pulverized calcined bone. The metal to be purified must be mingled with lead, and laid on the cupel, and exposed to a strong heat in an air furnace. The impurities of the metal will be partly absorbed, and partly thrown off in fume. The metal will continue in a state of agitation till all the impurities are thrown off; it will then become perfectly still, no more motion appearing, which is the token that the process is completed, or, according to the words of the text, is seven times, that is, perfectly purified.


 
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