Psalms 120:3
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
What shall be given to you? or what shall be done to you, you false tongue?
American King James Version (AKJV)
What shall be given to you? or what shall be done to you, you false tongue?
American Standard Version (ASV)
What shall be given unto thee, and what shall be done more unto thee, Thou deceitful tongue?
Basic English Translation (BBE)
What punishment will he give you? what more will he do to you, you false tongue?
Webster's Revision
What shall be given to thee? or what shall be done to thee, thou false tongue?
World English Bible
What will be given to you, and what will be done more to you, you deceitful tongue?
English Revised Version (ERV)
What shall be given unto thee, and what shall be done more unto thee, thou deceitful tongue?
Clarke's Psalms 120:3 Bible Commentary
What shall be given unto thee? - Thou art worthy of the heaviest punishments.
Barnes's Psalms 120:3 Bible Commentary
What shall be given unto thee? - Margin, "What shall the deceitful tongue give unto thee;" or, "what shall it profit thee?" Luther, "What can the false tongue do?" Others render this, "How will God punish thee?" Others, "What will he (God) give to thee?" That is, What recompence can you expect from God for these malignant calumnies? A literal translation of this verse would be, "What shall the tongue of deceit give to thee, and what shall it add to thee?" - referring to the offender himself. The essential idea is, What will be the result of such conduct? What must be expected to follow from it? That is, either
(a) from the unprofitableness of such a course; or
(b) from the natural consequences to one's reputation and happiness; or
(c) from the judgment of God.
The answer to these questions is found in Psalm 120:4.
Or what shall be done unto thee? - Margin, as in Hebrew, "added." What must be the consequence of this? what will follow?
Thou false tongue - This may be either an address to the tongue itself, or, as above, the word "tongue" may be used as the nominative to the verbs in the sentence. The sense is not materially affected either way.
