Psalms 110:6
in Psalms 110He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead; He will crush the leaders far and wide.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He will judge among the nations, He will fill the places with dead bodies; He will strike through the head in many countries.
KJV
He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.
⋯
This verse in Psalms 110
Commentary
11 notes on this verseHe shall judge among the nations. See the differences: kings are shattered, nations are judged. He shall fill up the ruins. Our Lord ascended upon the cross, and many ruins came about. "This one is set for the ruin and resurrection of many, and for a sign that shall be contradicted." He shall fill up the ruins: of those who do not believe, who did not believe the scouts, the apostles. For Moses too sent scouts into the world; and because the people did not believe the scouts, therefore they fell in the desert.
This site's exposition
in the day of His wrath
on Psalms 110:5-6
The right hand changes place. In verse 1 the king sits at the LORD's right hand; here the Lord stands at the king's. He will judge the nations, heap up the dead, and crush kings and leaders in the day of His wrath.
This site's exposition
He will crush the leaders
Crush is the verb of verse 5, used for the kings, and Balaam's oracle at Numbers 24:17 gives it to the star out of Jacob. Leaders is rosh, head, a singular in the Hebrew. Revelation 19:15 shows the King who will judge and rule the nations.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"He shall judge among the heathen: He shall fill up what has fallen" [Psalm 110:6]. Whoever you are who art obstinate against Christ, you have raised on high a tower that must fall. It is good that you should cast yourself down, become humble, throw yourself at the feet of Him who sits on the right hand of the Father, that in you a ruin may be made to be built up. For if you abide in your evil height, you shall be cast down when you can not be built up. For of such the Scripture says in another passage: "Therefore shall He break down, and not build them up." Beyond doubt he would not say this of some, unless there were some whom He broke down so as to build them up again. And this is going on at this time, while Christ is judging among the heathen in such a manner as to fill up what has fallen. "He shall smite many heads over the earth." Here upon the earth in this life He shall smite many heads. He makes them humble instead of proud; and I dare to say, my brethren, that it is more profitable to walk here humbly with the head wounded, than with the head erect to fall into the judgment of eternal death. He will smite many heads when he causes them to fall, but He will fill them up and build them up again.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Dead bodies - Of his enemies. Heads - All those princes who oppose him. But this and the like passages are not to be understood grossly, but spiritually, according to the nature of Christ's kingdom.
He shall judge among the Heathen,.... Either rule among the Gentiles, making them through his Gospel obedient by word and deed, and so reigning in their hearts by his Spirit and grace; and, by making many converts among them, enlarge his dominion from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth: or inflict judgments on the Heathen; that is, the Papists, as they are called.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
He shall judge among the heathen, or, among the nations. All nations shall feel his power, and either yield to it joyfully or be crushed before it. He shall fill the places with the dead bodies. In the terrible battles of his gospel all opponents shall fall till the field of fight is heaped high with the slain. This need not be understood literally, but as a poetical description of the overthrow of all rebellious powers and the defeat of all unholy principles.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The Messiah's conquests are described, though His work and God's are the same. As after a battle, whose field is strewn with corpses, the conqueror ascends the seat of empire, so shall He "judge," or "rule," among many nations, and subdue the head--or (as used collectively for "many") "the heads," over many lands. wound--literally, "smite," or "crush" (compare Ps 110:5).
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
He shall judge among the heathen, or, among the nations. All nations shall feel his power, and either yield to it joyfully or be crushed before it. He shall fill the places with the dead bodies. In the terrible battles of his gospel all opponents shall fall till the field of fight is heaped high with the slain. This need not be understood literally, but as a poetical description of the overthrow of all rebellious powers and the defeat of all unholy principles. Yet should kings oppose the Lord with weapons of war, the result would be their overwhelming defeat and the entire destruction of their forces. Read in connection with this prophecy the passage which begins at the seventeenth verse of Re 19:1 and runs on to the end of the chapter. Terrible things in righteousness will be seen ere the history of this world comes to an end. He shall wound the heads over many countries. He will strike at the greatest powers which resist him, and wound not merely common men, but those who rule and reign. If the nations will not have Christ for their Head, they shall find their political heads to be powerless to protect them. Or the passage may be read, "he has smitten the head over the wide earth." The monarch of the greatest nation shall not be able to escape the sword of the Lord; nor shall that dread spiritual prince who rules over the children of disobedience be able to escape without a deadly wound. Pope and priest must fall, with Mahomet and other deceivers who are now heads of the people. Jesus must reign and they must perish.
He shall judge among the heathen - David shall greatly extend his dominion, and rule over the Idumeans, Moabites, Philistines, etc. He shall fill - with the dead bodies - He shall fill pits - make heaps of slain; there shall be an immense slaughter among his enemies. He shall wound the heads - He shall so bring down the power of all the neighboring kings, as to cause them to acknowledge him as their lord, and pay him tribute.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
He shall judge among the heathen - Among the “nations.” That is, he shall set up a kingdom, or shall rule over the nations of the earth. He shall come to execute judgment and justice, and shall apportion to people what is due to them. See the notes at Isa 11:3-5. He shall fill the places with the dead bodies - He shall make a great slaughter - indicative of conquest, and of the subjugation of the world to himself. It would be “as if” the bodies of the slain in battle strewed the ground, or filled the valleys of the earth. He shall wound the heads - The same word is used here that occurs in the previous verse, and that is there rendered “shall strike.” It is the language of “conquest,” as if the world was to be subdued to himself by war. Over many countries - Margin, “great.” Over vast and extensive regions, carrying his conquests into distant lands. This will be fulfilled only when all the earth shall be subject to the reign of the Messiah. 1Co 15:24-28.
The words behind it
9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יָדִ֣ין | yadin | he judges | H1777 → | 24 times |
| בַּ֭גּוֹיִם | bagoyim | among the nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| מָלֵ֣א | male' | it is full | H4390 → | 249 times |
| גְוִיּ֑וֹת | geviyot | corpses | H1472 → | |
| מָ֥חַץ | machatz | he shatters | H4272 → | 14 times |
| רֹ֝֗אשׁ | rosh | chief[s] | H7218 → | 599 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אֶ֥רֶץ | ʾeretz | [the] earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
| רַבָּֽה׃ | rabah | great | H7227 → | 454 times |
יָדִ֣יןhe judges
yadinH1777 →24 times
בַּ֭גּוֹיִםamong the nations
bagoyimH1471 →561 times
מָלֵ֣אit is full
male'H4390 →249 times
גְוִיּ֑וֹתcorpses
geviyotH1472 →
מָ֥חַץhe shatters
machatzH4272 →14 times
רֹ֝֗אשׁchief[s]
roshH7218 →599 times
עַל־over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
אֶ֥רֶץ[the] earth
ʾeretzH776 →2504 times
רַבָּֽה׃great
rabahH7227 →454 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
Isaiah 2:4Then He will judge between the nations and arbitrate for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer take up the sword against…
it leads to
- Hosea 2:18
On that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the creatures that crawl on the ground. And I will abolish…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Micah 4:3
Then He will judge between many peoples and arbitrate for strong nations far and wide. Then they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer take…
- Isaiah 11:6–9
The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat; the calf and young lion and fatling will be together, and a little child will lead them.
- Zechariah 9:10
And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem, and the bow of war will be broken. Then He will proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion will extend…
- Hosea 2:18
Through
John 5:22Furthermore, the Father judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son,
it leads to
- Acts 17:31
For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- John 5:27
And He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.
- Acts 17:31
Through
Revelation 19:11Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war.
it leads to
- Psalms 96:13
before the LORD, for He is coming— He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness.
- Psalms 96:13
Through
Micah 4:3Then He will judge between many peoples and arbitrate for strong nations far and wide. Then they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer take…
it leads to
- Isaiah 2:4
Then He will judge between the nations and arbitrate for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer take up the sword against…
- Isaiah 2:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies13
On this chapter
About Psalms
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
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 110; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 5; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Homily 36, on Psalm 109; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament.