May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and boastful tongues.
David asks that God put an end to the rule of flattering and arrogant speech. The phrase “May the Lord cut off all flattering lips” is a strong poetic image. It is not a call for physical violence against people, but a request that the Lord silence deceptive speech and deprive it of the ability to mislead and harm others. Flattering lips hide personal gain or a crafty intention beneath pleasant words. And the “boastful tongue” represents speech by which a person exalts himself, humiliates others, and claims for himself such authority as if he is accountable to no one. This word is also a call to self-examination. A person can easily notice the flattery and boastfulness of others, yet not see the manifestations of the same sins in his own speech. Therefore the believer should ask that God not only stop the falsehood spreading in society, but also guard his lips from deceit, self-praise, and arrogant speech. True and humble speech flows from a heart that is upright before God.