Original PSA 12:1: Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal Speaker(s)=Narrator (All still tentative.)

UHB 1 לַ⁠מְנַצֵּ֥חַ עַֽל־הַ⁠שְּׁמִינִ֗ית מִזְמ֥וֹר לְ⁠דָוִֽד׃ ‡

BrLXX (PSA 11:1) Εἰς τὸ τέλος, ὑπὲρ τῆς ὀγδόης, ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυίδ.
(Eis to telos, huper taʸs ogdoaʸs, psalmos tōi Dawid.)

ULT For the chief musician; psalm David.

UST This is a note for the worship leader: wrote song. it a low range.

BSB For the choirmaster. According to Sheminith.[fn] A Psalm of David.

12:1 Sheminith is probably a musical term; here and in 1 Chronicles 15:21 and Psalm 6:1.

OEB For the leader; on the sheminith. A psalm of David.

WEBBE For the Chief Musician; upon an eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm of David.

NET For the music director; according to the sheminith style; a psalm of David.

FBV For the music director. To the Sheminith. A psalm of David.

LEB For the music director; on the Sheminith.[fn] A psalm of David.[fn]

12:? Meaning uncertain

12:? The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one

BBE For the chief music-maker on the Sheminith. A Psalm. Of David.

Moff From the Choirmaster’s collection. For bass voices. A song of David.

JPS (PSA 12:1) (12-1) For the Leader; on the Sheminith. A Psalm of David. (12-2) Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.

ASV For the Chief Musician; set to the Sheminith. A Psalm of David.

DRA (PSA 11:1) Unto the end; for the octave, a psalm for David.

Drby To the chief Musician. Upon Sheminith. A Psalm of David.

RV For the Chief Musician; set to the Sheminith. A Psalm of David.

KJB-1769 To the chief Musician upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David.

KJB-1611 ¶ To the chiefe Musician [fn]vpon Sheminith. A Psalme of Dauid.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation and footnotes)

12:0 Or, vpon the eighth.

Wycl (PSA 11:1) The title of the eleuenthe salm. To the victorie on the eiyte, the song of Dauid.
(The title of the eleventh psalm. To the victory on the eight, the song of David.)

Luth (PSA 12:1) Ein Psalm Davids, vorzusingen auf acht Saiten.
(A Psalm David’s, to_sing_to on/in/to eight/caution strings.)

ClVg (PSA 11:1) In finem, pro octava. Psalmus David.[fn]
(In the_end, for eighth. Psalm/Song David.)

11.1 Pro octava. CASS. Pro octava, quia hic petit propheta iniquitatem mundi destrui, ut ad veritatem promissionis futuræ perveniat. AUG. Octava pro die judicii, sicut in sexto psalmo dictum est.

11.1 For eighth. CASS. For eighth, because this/here asks a_prophet iniquity world to_be_destroyed, as to the_truth of_promise future arrive. AUG. Eighth for day judgement, like in/into/on sixth psalm/song said it_is.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Psalm 12 Introduction

Structure and Formatting

Psalm 12 has different types of themes in it. It has elements in it that belong to “lament psalms,” “psalms of trust,” and “imprecatory psalms.” See the Introduction to Psalms for more information about these types of psalms.

David laments that godly people seem to be no more (1)
The deceptive speech of wicked people (2)
David asks Yahweh to stop men who use their speech for evil purposes (3–4)
Yahweh’s response to the mistreatment of “the poor” and “the needy” (5)
Yahweh’s speech is perfect and trustworthy (6)
Yahweh’s “the poor” and “the needy” (7)
David observes the prideful boldness of wicked men as a result of society not condemning their evil actions (8)

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Psalm

Yahweh saves “the poor” and “the needy” from the oppressive acts of wicked people

Even though wicked people are temporarily succeeding in oppressing poor and needy people, Yahweh sees and will help “the poor” and “the needy” people who long for deliverance from their oppression (5). (See: save)

Words

A major focus of this psalm is the deceptive and prideful words that wicked people use (2–4). This psalm then shows that Yahweh’s speech, in contrast to the speech of wicked people, is morally perfect and trustworthy (6).

Note 1 topic: translate-unknown

לַ⁠מְנַצֵּ֥חַ

(Some words not found in UHB: to,choirmaster on/upon the,sheminith song of,David )

The word translated as chief musician likely refers to the person in charge of music for worship. Some languages may have a term for a music leader. Alternate translation: [For the music director] or [For the leader of worship music]

Note 2 topic: translate-names

עַֽל־הַ⁠שְּׁמִינִ֗ית

on/upon (Some words not found in UHB: to,choirmaster on/upon the,sheminith song of,David )

See how you translated the term Sheminith in the superscription to Psalm 6.

Parallel PSA 12:0

Psalm 12 Introduction

Structure and Formatting

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Psalm

Yahweh saves “the poor” and “the needy” from the oppressive acts of wicked people

Words