A modern metaphor in an ancient psalm.

“The tongue of the wicked is like a razor.”

It slashes, it cuts, it wounds. Calumny and insult and falsehood. Whenever it strikes, it hurts. A thing of danger and a tool of death. A deadly edge of spite, slander and scorn. The human tongue can cause more harm than any weapon in humans’ hands.

The psalm defines the evil: “cruel gossip”. And I awaken with a shock to the burden of my daily irresponsibility. The gossip that so easily leaves my lips, that I utter in jest and carelessness, that I think to be just universal practice and forgivable fun, is in fact something hurtful, inhuman, cruel. I am cruel when I speak ill of others. I am merciless when I indulge in backbiting. I am heartless when I gossip. I destroy reputations, I damage relationships, I smear characters. And the smear remains because men and women are prone to believe the evil and ignore the good. There is destruction in my tongue, and I did not know it.

“Your slanderous tongue is sharp as a razor.
You love evil and not good,
falsehood, not speaking the truth;
cruel gossip you love
and slanderous talk.”

Purify my speech, Lord. Curb my language and tame my words. Remind me, when I open my mouth, of the harm I can do, and direct all that I say to profit and to goodness and to help. I don’t want to hurt anyone with the cutting edge of thoughtless words. On the contrary, I want my tongue to be aware of its power for evil and for good. Let my language encourage, uplift, heal. Let my words help all and let my talking give joy.