Psalms 12:6

12:6 The Lord’s words are absolutely reliable. ¹ 

They are as untainted as silver purified in a furnace on the ground,

where it is thoroughly refined. ² 

Psalms 19:8-10

19:8 The Lord’s precepts are fair ³ 

and make one joyful. ⁴ 

The Lord’s commands ⁵  are pure ⁶ 

and give insight for life. ⁷ 

19:9 The commands to fear the Lord are right ⁸ 

and endure forever. ⁹ 

The judgments given by the Lord are trustworthy

and absolutely just. ¹⁰ 

19:10 They are of greater value ¹¹  than gold,

than even a great amount of pure gold;

they bring greater delight ¹²  than honey,

than even the sweetest honey from a honeycomb.

Psalms 119:140

119:140 Your word is absolutely pure,

and your servant loves it!

Proverbs 30:5

30:5 Every word of God is purified; ¹³ 

he is like ¹⁴  a shield for those who take refuge in him. ¹⁵ 

[12:6]  ¹ tn Heb “the words of the Lord are pure words,” i.e., untainted by falsehood or deception (in contrast to the flattery of the evildoers, v. 2).

[12:6]  ² tn Heb “[like] silver purified in a furnace of [i.e., “on”] the ground, refined seven times.” The singular participle מְזֻקָּק (mÿzuqqaq, “refined”) modifies “silver.” The number seven is used rhetorically to express the thorough nature of the action. For other rhetorical/figurative uses of שִׁבְעָתָיִם (shiv’atayim, “seven times”), see Gen 4:15, 24; Ps 79:12; Prov 6:31; Isa 30:26.

[19:8]  ³ tn Or “just.” Perhaps the idea is that they impart a knowledge of what is just and right.

[19:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “[they] make happy [the] heart.” Perhaps the point is that they bring a sense of joyful satisfaction to the one who knows and keeps them, for those who obey God’s law are richly rewarded. See v. 11b.

[19:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “command.” The singular here refers to the law as a whole.

[19:8]  ⁶ tn Because they reflect God’s character, his commands provide a code of moral and ethical purity.

[19:8]  ⁷ tn Heb [they] enlighten [the] eyes.

[19:9]  ⁸ tn Heb “the fear of the Lord is clean.” The phrase “fear of the Lord” probably refers here to the law, which teaches one how to demonstrate proper reverence for the Lord. See Ps 111:10 for another possible use of the phrase in this sense.

[19:9]  ⁹ tn Heb “[it] stands permanently.”

[19:9]  ¹⁰ sn Trustworthy and absolutely just. The Lord’s commands accurately reflect God’s moral will for his people and are an expression of his just character.

[19:10]  ¹¹ tn Heb “more desirable.”

[19:10]  ¹² tn Heb “are sweeter.” God’s law is “sweet’ in the sense that, when obeyed, it brings a great reward (see v. 11b).

[30:5]  ¹³ sn The text here uses an implied comparison (a figure of speech known as hypocatastasis): It compares the perfection of every word from God with some precious metal that has been refined and purified (e.g., Ps 12:6). The point is that God’s word is trustworthy; it has no defects and flaws, nothing false or misleading. The second half of the verse explains the significance of this point – it is safe to trust the Lord.

[30:5]  ¹⁴ tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[30:5]  ¹⁵ sn The line uses two more figures of speech to declare that God can be trusted for security and salvation. “Shield” is a simple metaphor – God protects. “Take refuge” is another implied comparison (hypocatastasis) – God provides spiritual rest and security for those who put their trust in him.