What does it mean that all men are liars (Psalm 116:11)?

Answer

Psalm 116:10–11 states, “I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted: I said in my haste, ‘All men are liars’” (KJV). The psalmist here is expressing the tumultuous emotions he experienced while undergoing great stress. He concludes the psalm by rejoicing that God had never left him, even though it seemed everyone else had.

In Psalm 116, the writer recalls a dreadful time in his life and how the Lord rescued him from it. The phrase “all men are liars” is how he conveys the intense feelings he had in the heat of the moment. It was a period when “the cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow” (verse 3). During that time, he felt abandoned. No one could be trusted; those who promised help turned out to be unreliable, and their words nothing but lies.

The emotion that overwhelmed the psalmist when he labeled all men as liars is identified as “alarm” (NIV), “anxiety” (NLT), and “confusion” (CEV). The KJV uses the term haste. The key point is that, as the psalmist reflected on the situation, he realized that his words had been impulsive and influenced by the anxiety and fear he felt. He had not been thinking clearly when he declared that everyone was a liar and that all he had was the Lord. The statement was exaggerated, uttered by a panicked man feeling overwhelmed.

The Psalms are rich in poetic language, intense emotions, and vivid descriptions written by individuals expressing their feelings in different seasons of life. A common sentiment during times of trouble is that we face the trouble alone, and many psalms convey that sentiment (e.g., Psalm 38:11; Psalm 88:8,18;142:4). Numerous passages reflect the rawness of human emotion, which can distort our perspective (see Psalm 137:9). When we…Experience strong emotions, both good and bad, we often express them in ways that we would not when feeling calm. The author of Psalm 116 recalls the time when he expressed his belief that all men are liars, but he later realized that he had spoken hastily—under pressure, he had simply been “venting.”

Psalm 73 is another excellent example of this. The psalmist is grappling with the apparent injustice of the prosperity of the wicked. He questions God’s wisdom in blessing evildoers and wonders if perhaps he has served the Lord in vain. Then, in verse 15, he stops himself and says, “If I had spoken like that, I would have betrayed your children.” He acknowledges that his emotions are not accurate, and they should not be voiced, even though they seem true in the moment.

Within God’s Word are the documented realities of human passions and failures. The Bible is remarkably honest about the shortcomings of even the great patriarchs of the faith. Even the most godly men and women have moments when anxiety rises, and they think or say something foolish. The reality of our weakness is abundantly demonstrated for us in God’s Word. The Psalms, in particular, are infused with a range of human emotions while conveying valuable truths and wisdom. All of it, including the psalmist’s hasty statement that all men are liars, was included there for our learning.

While it is true that lying is a part of our fallen human nature, not all men are liars. Many people are dishonest, and we may all deceive in ways of which we are not fully aware, such as through false representation, pretense, or silence. However, in Psalm 116, the writer is referring to the lack of loyalty in people he had trusted. It seemed to him as if no one could be relied upon, so, in his “alarm,” he exaggerated the situation. We often resort to this. We use words like everything, no one, always, or never to emphasize our point, even though those extremes are not necessarily accurate. For instance, when we say, “Everything has gone wrong today,” or “No one cares that I’m sick.”

When we make generalizations, we tend to exaggerate the truth. The assertion that “all men are liars” in Psalm 116:11 conforms to that pattern.