Psalms 139:20 (KJV)

Passage

For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.

Nearby Context

Psalms 139:18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

Psalms 139:19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.

Psalms 139:20 For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.

Psalms 139:21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?

Psalms 139:22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "speak", "against", "thee", "wickedly", "thine", "enemies", "take", and "name". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "speak" and "against", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "Surely thou wilt slay the wicked O..." into verse 21's "Do not I hate them O LORD...", so "speak" and "against" belong inside that flow. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "speak" and "against" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.