Psalms 34:16
in Psalms 34But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to wipe out all memory of them from the earth.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The face of Jehovah is against them that do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
KJV
The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
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This verse in Psalms 34
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThe face of the Lord is against them that do evil,.... Not against everyone that sins; for the righteous are not without sin; they have sin in them, and they do no good without it; but against them that live in sin, whose course of life is a series of wickedness, and they are workers of iniquity; and have no sense of sin, nor sorrow for it, go on in it without shame or fear; against these the face of the Lord is, he shows his resentment, and stirs up his wrath.
This site's exposition
His ears are inclined
on Psalms 34:15-18
Eyes, ears and face divide the LORD's attention, on the righteous and against those who do evil. Verse 17 makes the cry of verse 6 a standing rule, heard whenever the righteous cry out. Verse 18 puts Him nearest the brokenhearted.
This site's exposition
the face of the LORD is against those who do evil
Albert Barnes noted a change of preposition in the Hebrew, from eyes on the righteous to a face set against evildoers. Matthew Henry contrasted the passages where God turns His face away from sinners, as at Jeremiah 18:17. Here He sets it against them.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
After explaining the grace toward the just, he now turns his attention to the punishment of the wicked.… Understand that he sees both groups, but his gaze results in a different outcome for each group; he looks at the just to hear them, but looks …
Haply say the wicked, I securely do evil, because the Eyes of the Lord are not upon me: God attends to the righteous, me He sees not, and whatever I do, I do securely. Immediately added the Holy Spirit, seeing the thoughts of men, and said, "But the Face of the Lord is against them that do evil; to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth" [Psalm 34:16].
The Medieval Church1 voice
Next, when he says, "But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to destroy," etc., the providence of the Lord regarding the wicked is shown. And concerning this he does two things. First, it is stated that divine providence extends to …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Sometimes God is said to turn his face from them ( Jer. xviii. 17 ), because they have forsaken him; here he is said to set his face against them, because they have fought against him; and most certainly God is able to out-face the most proud and daring sinners and can frown them into hell.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The face of the Lord is against them that do evil. God is not indifferent to the deeds of sinners, but he sets his face against them, as we say, being determined that they shall have no countenance and support, but shall be thwarted and defeated. He is determinately resolved that the ungodly shall not prosper; he sets himself with all his might to overthrow them. To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. He will stamp out their fires, their honour shall be turned into shame, their names forgotten or accursed.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The face of the Lord - This phrase is synonymous with that in the previous verse: “The eyes of the Lord.” The meaning is, that the righteous and the wicked are alike under the eye of God; the one for protection, the other for punishment. Neither of them can escape His notice; but at all times, and in all circumstances, they are equally seen by Him. Is against them that do evil - The wicked; all that do wrong. In the former verse the statement is, that the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, that is, for their protection; in this case, by a change of the preposition in the original, the statement is, that His face is “against” them that do evil, that is, He observes them to bring judgment upon them. To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth - To cut off themselves, - their families - and all memorials of them, so that they shall utterly be forgotten among people. Compare Psa 109:13-15. So, in Pro 10:7, it is said, “The memory of the just is blessed; but the name of the wicked shall rot.” Two things are implied here: (1) That it is “desirable” to be remembered after we are dead. There is in us a deep-rooted principle, of great value to the cause of virtue, which prompts us to “desire” that we may be held in grateful recollection by mankind after we have passed away; that is, which prompts us to do something in our lives, the remembrance of which the world will not “willingly let die.” - Milton. (2) The other idea is, that there is a state of things on earth which has a tendency to cause the remembrance of the wicked to die out, or to make people forget them. There is nothing to make men desire to retain their recollection, or to rear monuments to them. People are indeed remembered who are of bad eminence in crime; but the world will forget a wicked man just as soon as it can. […]
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| פְּנֵ֣י | penei | [the] face of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יְ֭הוָה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בְּעֹ֣שֵׂי | beosei | [is] on [those who] do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| רָ֑ע | ra' | <of> evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
| לְהַכְרִ֖ית | lehakhrit | to cut off | H3772 → | 288 times |
| מֵאֶ֣רֶץ | meeretz | from [the] earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
| זִכְרָֽם׃ | zikhram | memory their | H2143 → | 23 times |
פְּנֵ֣י[the] face of
peneiH6440 →2123 times
יְ֭הוָהYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בְּעֹ֣שֵׂי[is] on [those who] do
beoseiH6213 →2628 times
רָ֑ע<of> evil
ra'H7451 →662 times
לְהַכְרִ֖יתto cut off
lehakhritH3772 →288 times
מֵאֶ֣רֶץfrom [the] earth
meeretzH776 →2504 times
זִכְרָֽם׃memory their
zikhramH2143 →23 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
Jeremiah 17:13O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who abandon You will be put to shame. All who turn away will be written in the dust, for they have abandoned the LORD, the fountain of…
it leads to
- Revelation 7:17
For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. ‘He will lead them to springs of living water,’ and ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
- John 4:14
But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”
- John 7:37–38
On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
- John 4:10
Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
- Revelation 22:1
Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
- Revelation 7:17
Through
Proverbs 10:7The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.
it leads to
- Psalms 112:6
Surely he will never be shaken; the righteous man will be remembered forever.
- Psalms 109:13
May his descendants be cut off; may their name be blotted out from the next generation.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 112:6
Through
Leviticus 17:10If anyone from the house of Israel or a foreigner living among them eats any blood, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from among his people.
it leads to
- Leviticus 26:17
And I will set My face against you, so that you will be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one pursues you.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Leviticus 26:17
Where this verse is studied
About Psalms
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 34; Cassiodorus, EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 34:17; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 2; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Exposition on the Psalms of David.