Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

PSALMS 34:13KJV
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Psalms 34:13 (KJV)

What does Psalms 34:13 mean?

Psalms 34:13 urges the reader to avoid saying harmful things and to keep from speaking with deceit or dishonesty. The verse calls for careful control over one’s words, encouraging honesty and kindness in speech.

In this psalm, David is speaking, sharing wisdom with those who listen to him after being delivered from danger. The verse is part of a section where David teaches about living a good life, emphasizing that what a person says is a key part of living rightly before God and others.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 34:13

  • The word "keep" (נָצַר, natsar) means to guard or watch over carefully. This suggests an active, ongoing effort to control what comes out of one’s mouth, not just a passive avoidance.
  • "Tongue" (לָשׁוֹן, lashon) refers to speech in general, highlighting that the focus is on all spoken words, not just a few.
  • "Evil" (רַע, ra) often means anything harmful or morally wrong, so the warning covers both hurtful and wicked speech.
  • "Guile" (מִרְמָה, mirmah) means deceit or trickery, pointing to speech that is misleading or dishonest, not just outright lies.

Why Psalms 34:13 matters

  • This verse clarifies that living rightly involves not only actions but also the words a person chooses, showing that speech is a central part of moral life.
  • The emphasis on both avoiding evil and guile shows that honesty and kindness are both required, not just refraining from obvious wrongdoing.
  • In the context of the psalm, this advice is part of a broader teaching on seeking peace and pursuing it, connecting careful speech to a life marked by goodness and harmony.

Where else these words appear

“guile” Hebrew H4820 · used in 38 verses

  • Genesis 27:35 And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.
  • Psalms 43:1 Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
  • Proverbs 20:23 Divers weights are an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good.

“Keep” Hebrew H5341 · used in 62 verses

  • Exodus 34:7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
  • Psalms 119:34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
  • Proverbs 13:3 He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.

“tongue” Hebrew H3956 · used in 115 verses

  • Genesis 10:5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.
  • Psalms 45:1 To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of loves. My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
  • Proverbs 25:23 The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.