Logos Bible Study

Psalm 7:8–16

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7:8The Lord judges the nations.19

Vindicate me, Lord, because I am innocent,20

because I am blameless,21 O Exalted One!22

7:9May the evil deeds of the wicked23 come to an end!24

But make the innocent25 secure,26

O righteous God,

you who examine27 inner thoughts and motives!28

7:10The Exalted God is my shield,29

the one who delivers the morally upright.30

7:11God is a just judge;

he is angry throughout the day.31

7:12If a person32 does not repent, God sharpens his sword33

and prepares to shoot his bow.34

7:13He prepares to use deadly weapons against him;35

he gets ready to shoot flaming arrows.36

7:14See the one who is pregnant with wickedness,

who conceives destructive plans,

and gives birth to harmful lies—37

7:15he digs a pit38

and then falls into the hole he has made.39

7:16He becomes the victim of his own destructive plans40

and the violence he intended for others falls on his own head.41

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Footnotes

  1. 19 The Lord judges the nations. In hyperbolic fashion the psalmist pictures the nations assembled around the divine throne (v. 7a). He urges God to take his rightful place on the throne (v. 7b) and then pictures him making judicial decisions that vindicate the innocent (see vv. 8–16).
  2. 20 Heb “judge me, O Lord, according to my innocence.”
  3. 21 Heb “according to my blamelessness.” The imperative verb translated “vindicate” governs the second line as well.
  4. 22 The Hebrew form עָלָי (’alay) has been traditionally understood as the preposition עַל (’al, “over”) with a first person suffix. But this is syntactically awkward and meaningless. The form is probably a divine title derived from the verbal root עָלָה (’alah, “ascend”). This relatively rare title appears elsewhere in the OT (see I עַל, though this text is not listed) and in Ugaritic as an epithet for Baal (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 98). See M. Dahood, Psalms (), 1:, and P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1–50 (), .
  5. 23 In the psalms the Hebrew term רְשָׁעִים (résha’im, “wicked”) describes people who are proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16–20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21). They oppose God and his people.
  6. 24 The prefixed verbal form is a jussive, expressing an imprecation here.
  7. 25 Or “the godly” (see Ps 5:12). The singular form is collective (see the plural “upright in heart” in v. 10), though it may reflect the personal focus of the psalmist in this context.
  8. 26 The prefixed verbal form expresses the psalmist’s prayer or wish.
  9. 27 For other uses of the verb in this sense, see Job 7:18; Pss 11:4; 26:2; 139:23.
  10. 28 Heb “and [the one who] tests hearts and kidneys, just God.” The translation inverts the word order to improve the English style. The heart and kidneys were viewed as the seat of one’s volition, conscience, and moral character.
  11. 29 Traditionally, “my shield is upon God” (cf. ). As in v. 8, עַל (’al) should be understood as a divine title, here compounded with “God” (cf. , “God Most High”). See M. Dahood, Psalms (), 1:. The shield metaphor pictures God as a protector against deadly attacks.
  12. 30 Heb “pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the Lord and, as a result, experience his deliverance (see Pss 11:2; 32:11; 36:10; 64:10; 94:15; 97:11).
  13. 31 Heb “God (the divine name אֵל [’el] is used) is angry during all the day.” The verb זֹעֵם (zo’em) means “be indignant, be angry, curse.” Here God’s angry response to wrongdoing and injustice leads him to prepare to execute judgment as described in the following verses.
  14. 32 Heb “If he”; the referent (a person who is a sinner) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The subject of the first verb is understood as the sinner who fails to repent of his ways and becomes the target of God’s judgment (vv. 9, 14–16).
  15. 33 Heb “if he does not return, his sword he sharpens.” The referent (God) of the pronominal subject of the second verb (“sharpens”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  16. 34 Heb “his bow he treads and prepares it.” “Treading the bow” involved stepping on one end of it in order to string it and thus prepare it for battle.
  17. 35 Heb “and for him he prepares the weapons of death.”
  18. 36 Heb “his arrows into flaming [things] he makes.”
  19. 37 Heb “and he conceives harm and gives birth to a lie.” Pregnant with wickedness … gives birth to harmful lies. The psalmist metaphorically pictures the typical sinner as a pregnant woman, who is ready to give birth to wicked, destructive schemes and actions.
  20. 38 Heb “a pit he digs and he excavates it.” Apparently the imagery of hunting is employed; the wicked sinner digs this pit to entrap and destroy his intended victim. The redundancy in the Hebrew text has been simplified in the translation.
  21. 39 The verb forms in vv. 15–16 describe the typical behavior and destiny of those who attempt to destroy others. The image of the evildoer falling into the very trap he set for his intended victim emphasizes the appropriate nature of God’s judgment.
  22. 40 Heb “his harm [i.e., the harm he conceived for others, see v. 14] returns on his head.”
  23. 41 Heb “and on his forehead his violence [i.e., the violence he intended to do to others] comes down.”

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

The Lord judges the peoples;

judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness

and according to the integrity that is in me.

Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end,

and may you establish the righteous—

you who test the minds and hearts,

O righteous God!

My shield is with God,

who saves the upright in heart.

God is a righteous judge,

and a God who feels indignation every day.

If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword;

he has bent and readied his bow;

he has prepared for him his deadly weapons,

making his arrows fiery shafts.

Behold, the wicked man conceives evil

and is pregnant with mischief

and gives birth to lies.

He makes a pit, digging it out,

and falls into the hole that he has made.

His mischief returns upon his own head,

and on his own skull his violence descends.

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Let the Lord judge the peoples.

Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness,

according to my integrity, O Most High.

Bring to an end the violence of the wicked

and make the righteous secure—

you, the righteous God

who probes minds and hearts.

My shield is God Most High,

who saves the upright in heart.

God is a righteous judge,

a God who displays his wrath every day.

If he does not relent,

he will sharpen his sword;

he will bend and string his bow.

He has prepared his deadly weapons;

he makes ready his flaming arrows.

Whoever is pregnant with evil

conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment.

Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out

falls into the pit they have made.

The trouble they cause recoils on them;

their violence comes down on their own heads.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

The Lord judges the peoples;

vindicate me, Lord,

according to my righteousness and my integrity.

Let the evil of the wicked come to an end,

but establish the righteous.

The one who examines the thoughts and emotions

is a righteous God.

My shield is with God,

who saves the upright in heart.

God is a righteous judge

and a God who shows his wrath every day.

If anyone does not repent,

he will sharpen his sword;

he has strung his bow and made it ready.

He has prepared his deadly weapons;

he tips his arrows with fire.

See, the wicked one is pregnant with evil,

conceives trouble, and gives birth to deceit.

He dug a pit and hollowed it out

but fell into the hole he had made.

His trouble comes back on his own head;

his own violence comes down on top of his head.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

The Lord judges the nations.

Declare me righteous, O Lord,

for I am innocent, O Most High!

End the evil of those who are wicked,

and defend the righteous.

For you look deep within the mind and heart,

O righteous God.

God is my shield,

saving those whose hearts are true and right.

God is an honest judge.

He is angry with the wicked every day.

If a person does not repent,

God will sharpen his sword;

he will bend and string his bow.

He will prepare his deadly weapons

and shoot his flaming arrows.

The wicked conceive evil;

they are pregnant with trouble

and give birth to lies.

They dig a deep pit to trap others,

then fall into it themselves.

The trouble they make for others backfires on them.

The violence they plan falls on their own heads.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Yahweh judges the nations.

O Yahweh, vindicate me

according to my innocence and according to my integrity within me.

Let the evil of the wicked come to an end,

but establish the righteous,

and test the hearts and innermost being, O righteous God.

My shield is with God

who saves the upright of heart.

God is a righteous judge,

and a God who has indignation every day.

If he does not repent, he will sharpen his sword.

He has bent his bow and he has strung it.

And he has prepared for him weapons of death.

He has made his arrows fiery shafts.

See, he travails with evil.

He is pregnant with trouble,

and he gives birth to deception.

He makes a pit and digs it out,

then falls in the trap he has made.

His trouble comes back on his head,

and his violence comes down on his skull.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

The Lord shall judge the people:

Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness,

And according to mine integrity that is in me.

Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just:

For the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.

My defence is of God,

Which saveth the upright in heart.

God judgeth the righteous,

And God is angry with the wicked every day.

If he turn not, he will whet his sword;

He hath bent his bow, and made it ready.

He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death;

He ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.

Behold, he travaileth with iniquity,

And hath conceived mischief,

And brought forth falsehood.

He made a pit, and digged it,

And is fallen into the ditch which he made.

His mischief shall return upon his own head,

And his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.

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