Psalms 59:8
in Psalms 59But You, O LORD, laugh at them; You scoff at all the nations.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But thou, O Jehovah, wilt laugh at them; Thou wilt have all the nations in derision.
KJV
But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.
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This verse in Psalms 59
Commentary
10 notes on this verseBut thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them. He speaks to God, as to one who is close at hand. He points to the liers in wait and speaks to God about them. They are laughing at me, and longing for my destruction, but thou hast the laugh of them seeing thou hast determined to send them away without their victim, and made fools of by Michal. The greatest, cleverest, and most malicious of the enemies of the church are only objects of ridicule to the Lord; their attempts are utterly futile, they need give no concern to our faith.
This site's exposition
They return in the evening
on Psalms 59:6-8
Verse 6 has them returning in the evening, dogs snarling and prowling the city, and verse 14 says it again word for word. Their mouths are the weapon, sharp words and the boast, for who can hear us. Verse 8 answers that: the LORD laughs, as at Psalm 2:4.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"And You, Lord, shall deride them" [Psalm 59:8]. All nations are to be Christian, and you say, "Who has heard?" What is, "shall deride them"? "As nothing You shall esteem all nations." Nothing for You it shall be; because a most easy thing it will be for all nations to believe in You.
"And You, Lord, shall deride them" [Psalm 59:8]. All nations are to be Christian, and you say, "Who has heard?" What is, "shall deride them"? "As nothing You shall esteem all nations." Nothing for You it shall be; because a most easy thing it will be for all nations to believe in You.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
"They think God does not hear them, does not heed them; but thou, O Lord! shalt laugh at them for their folly, to think that he who planted the ear shall not hear, and thou shalt have not them only, but all such other heathenish people that live without God in the world, in derision. " Note, Atheists and persecutors are worthy to be laughed at and had in derision.
1 Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me. 2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men. 3 For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O L ORD .
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:96%@v1-3
But thou, O Lord, shall laugh at them,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them. He speaks to God, as to one who is close at hand. He points to the liers in wait and speaks to God about them. They are laughing at me, and longing for my destruction, but thou hast the laugh of them seeing thou hast determined to send them away without their victim, and made fools of by Michal. The greatest, cleverest, and most malicious of the enemies of the church are only objects of ridicule to the Lord; their attempts are utterly futile, they need give no concern to our faith. Thou shalt have all the heathen in derision. As if David had said—What are these fellows who lie in ambush! And what is the king their master, if God be on my side? If not only these but all the heathen nations were besetting the house, yet Jehovah would readily enough disappoint them and deliver them. In the end of all things it will be seen how utterly contemptible and despicable are all the enemies of the cause and kingdom of God. He is a brave man who sees this today when the enemy is in great power, and while the church is often as one shut up and besieged in his house.
Thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them - They have mocked us; God will turn them and their schemes into ridicule and contempt: “Thou shalt have all these heathenish nations in derision.”
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them - That is, God will hear them, and will have all their efforts in derision, or will treat them with contempt. See Psa 2:4, note; Psa 37:13, note. Thou shalt have all the heathen in derision - All those referred to in this psalm - the enemies of David - who have the character, and who manifest the spirit of the pagan; that is, of those who are not actuated by true religion. See the notes at Psa 59:5. This verse expresses the strong conviction of David, that all the efforts of his enemies would be vain; that God “would be” his Protector; and that he would save him from their evil designs.
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאַתָּ֣ה | veatah | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| יְ֭הוָה | yahweh | O Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| תִּשְׂחַק־ | tischak- | you laugh | H7832 → | 36 times |
| לָ֑מוֹ | lamo | to them | ||
| תִּ֝לְעַ֗ג | tilag | you mock | H3932 → | 18 times |
| לְכָל־ | lekhol | <to> all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| גּוֹיִֽם׃ | goyim | [the] nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
וְאַתָּ֣הand you
veatahH859 →1094 times
יְ֭הוָהO Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
תִּשְׂחַק־you laugh
tischak-H7832 →36 times
לָ֑מוֹto them
lamo
תִּ֝לְעַ֗גyou mock
tilagH3932 →18 times
לְכָל־<to> all
lekholH3605 →5413 times
גּוֹיִֽם׃[the] nations
goyimH1471 →561 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 2:4The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord taunts them.
it leads to
- Psalms 37:13
but the Lord laughs, seeing that their day is coming.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 1:26
in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 40:22
He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth; its dwellers are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
- Psalms 11:4
The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne. His eyes are watching closely; they examine the sons of men.
- Psalms 37:13
Through
Psalms 37:13but the Lord laughs, seeing that their day is coming.
it leads to
- Psalms 2:4
The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord taunts them.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 2:4
Through
Matthew 18:17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
it leads to
- 2 Thessalonians 3:6
Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who leads an undisciplined life that is not in keeping with the tradition you received…
- 1 Corinthians 5:9
I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:6
Through
Proverbs 1:26in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you,
it leads to
- Proverbs 10:24
What the wicked man dreads will overtake him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
- Proverbs 10:24
About Psalms
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 59; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 3; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.