A frequent misinterpretation of Psalms 12:7 links 'them' to God's pure words in verse 6 rather than the poor and needy of verse 5, leading some to claim it promises the perfect, unaltered preservation of specific Bible translations like the King James Version across generations. This reading ignores the psalm's flow, where God arises to defend the oppressed against liars and puffers, making the preservation apply to people, not texts, and thus distorts the passage into a prooftext for textual infallibility detached from its cry for divine intervention against societal evil.
Psalms 12:7
King James Version (1769)
7 Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
Psalms 12:7 conveys God's unwavering commitment to protect and preserve His faithful people—the oppressed poor and sighing needy—from the corrupt and deceitful generation that surrounds them. In the context of a psalm lamenting the decline of godly truthfulness and the rise of flattering lies, this verse offers assurance that the Lord will safeguard His vulnerable remnant forever, countering human wickedness with divine security and emphasizing His role as eternal guardian amid moral decay.