Psalms 5:10
in Psalms 5Declare them guilty, O God; let them fall by their own devices. Drive them out for their many transgressions, for they have rebelled against You.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Hold them guilty, O God; Let them fall by their own counsels; Thrust them out in the multitude of their transgressions; For they have rebelled against thee.
KJV
Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.
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This verse in Psalms 5
Commentary
13 notes on this verseAccording to the multitude of their impieties cast them out. He did not say from where He should cast them out: whether He should cast them out from heaven, whether He should cast them out from the earth: from where He should cast them out, the Scripture does not say; but it is a ὑπερβατόν (a transposition) and a ὕστερον πρότερον (a putting of the latter first). We ought therefore to read, According to the multitude of their impieties cast them out.
This site's exposition
Their throats are open graves
on Psalms 5:9-10
Romans 3:13 carries the line word for word. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the open grave as a dwelling place of corruption. Verse 10 then asks God to declare them guilty and to let their own devices bring them down.
This site's exposition
Declare them guilty, O God
The Hebrew verb is asham, and Albert Barnes read it as holding them guilty so that they bear the penalty. The last clause gives the ground of the plea: they have rebelled against You. Psalm 7:15 and 16 show the same fall.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"Judge them, O God: let them fall from their own thoughts" [Psalm 5:10]. It is a prophecy, not a curse. For he does not wish that it should come to pass; but he perceives what will come to pass. For this happens to them, not because he appears to have wished for it, but because they are such as to deserve that it should happen. For so also what he says afterwards, "Let all that hope in You rejoice," he says by way of prophecy; since he perceives that they will rejoice. Likewise is it said prophetically, "Stir up Your strength, and come:" for he saw that He would come. Although the words, "Let them fall from their own thoughts," may be taken thus also, that it may rather be believed to be a wish for their good by the Psalmist, while they fall from their evil thoughts, that is, that they may no more think evil. But what follows, "drive them out," forbids this interpretation. For it can in no way be taken in a favourable sense, that one is driven out by God. Wherefore it is understood to be said prophetically, and not of ill will; when this is said, which must necessarily happen to such as chose to persevere in those sins, which have been mentioned. "Let them," therefore, "fall from their own thoughts," is, let them fall by their self-accusing thoughts, "their own conscience also bearing witness," as the Apostle says, "and their thoughts accusing or excusing, in the revelation of the just judgment of God." [Romans 2:15-16] "According to the multitude of their ungodlinesses drive them out:" [Psalm 5:10] that is, drive them out far away. For this is "according to the multitude of their ungodlinesses," that they should be driven out far away. The ungodly then are driven out from that inheritance, which is possessed by knowing and seeing God: as diseased eyes are driven out from the shining of the light, when what is gladness to others is pain to them. […]
Judge them, O God. Let them know that Thou art the judge, let them know that Thou dost regard human affairs: Thou who art to judge at the end, judge also in the present: Thou who art to judge in general, judge now in part: let those who are unwilling to feel Thee as Father feel Thee as judge. Judge them, O God. Why? for what cause? It follows: Let them fall from their thoughts. For if in the present Thou wilt render to them what they deserve, they will begin to withdraw from their evil thoughts. As long as they do not feel Thee as judge, they do not fear. Let them fall from their thoughts. Excellently he said, from their thoughts: for daily the heretics change their doctrines. In short, if a man of the Church, learned in the Scriptures, contends against them, and refutes them from the holy Scriptures, immediately they seek out some other new doctrine to devise. They do not seek how they may be saved, but how they may prevail. Therefore he said now, Let them fall from their thoughts: let them fall from their many thoughts, and let them have Thee as their one thought.
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
BonaventureCollationes de Septem Donis, Collation 3 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
The impious man is he who defends his own impiety, namely sin. Of such the Psalm says: "Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they acted deceitfully: judge them, O God. Let them fall from their own counsels: according to the multitude of …
Next, when he says "Judge," he prays for others. And first, against the wicked. Second, for the good, at "And let them rejoice." Concerning the first, he does three things. First, he asks for their judgment. Second, he determines the mode of judgment, at "Let …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Destroy thou them, O God,....
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
If his account of them is true, as no doubt it is, they have a very bad character; and, if they had not been bad men indeed, they could not have been enemies to a man after God's own heart.
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
Destroy thou them, O God - All these apparently imprecatory declarations should be translated in the future tense, to which they belong; and which shows them to be prophetic. Thou Wilt destroy them; thou Wilt cast them out, etc.
"Against thee:" not against me. If they were my enemies I would forgive them, but I cannot forgive thine. We are to forgive our enemies, but God's enemies it is not in our power to forgive. These expressions have often been noticed by men of over refinement as being harsh, and grating on the ear. "Oh!" say they, "they are vindictive and revengeful." Let us remember that they might be translated as prophecies, not as wishes; but we do not care to avail ourselves of this method of escape.
"Against thee:" not against me. If they were my enemies I would forgive them, but I cannot forgive thine. We are to forgive our enemies, but God's enemies it is not in our power to forgive. These expressions have often been noticed by men of over refinement as being harsh, and grating on the ear. "Oh!" say they, "they are vindictive and revengeful." Let us remember that they might be translated as prophecies, not as wishes; but we do not care to avail ourselves of this method of escape. We have never heard of a reader of the Bible who, after perusing these passages, was made revengeful by reading them, and it is but fair to test the nature of a writing by its effects. When we hear a judge condemning a murderer, however severe his sentence, we do not feel that we should be justified in condemning others for any private injury done to us. The Psalmist here speaks as a judge, ex officio; he speaks as God's mouth, and in condemning the wicked he gives us no excuse whatever for uttering anything in the way of malediction upon those who have caused us personal offence. The most shameful way of cursing another is by pretending to bless him. We were all somewhat amused by noticing the toothless malice of that wretched old priest of Rome, when he foolishly cursed the Emperor of France with his blessing. He was blessing him in form and cursing him in reality. Now, in direct contrast we put this healthy commination of David, which is intended to be a blessing by warning the sinner of the impending curse. O impenitent man, be it known unto thee that all thy godly friends will give their solemn assent to the awful sentence of the Lord, which he shall pronounce upon thee in the day of doom! Our verdict shall applaud the condemning curse which the Judge of all the earth shall thunder against the godless.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Destroy thou them, O God - The word here rendered “destroy” is translated by Prof. Alexander “condemn” - “condemn them; literally, make them guilty; that is, recognize and treat them as such.” The Hebrew word אשׁם 'âsham, means to fail in duty, to transgress, to be guilty; in the Hiphil, the form used here, according to Gesenius, to “punish; and hence, to destroy,” (Lexicon) The idea in the mind of the psalmist seems to have been that he desired, since they were undoubtedly guilty, that God would regard and treat them “as such.” It is not that he wished that God would make them guilty; or that, in itself considered, he desired that they should be found to be so, or that, in itself considered, he wished them to be punished or cut off; but it is that, as they were guilty, and as they were pursuing a course which tended to overthrow the government of the land, and as they were at war with God and with the best interests of the people, God would interpose and stay their progress - that he would show himself to be a righteous and just God. There is no evidence of any private malignity in this prayer, or of any spirit of private revenge. It is a prayer which corresponds with all the efforts, and consequently with all the wishes of every good person, that the violators of law may be arrested and punished. In this, assuredly, there is no wrong. Let them fall by their own counsels - So as to show that they brought this judgment upon themselves. The wish is, that their plans, which were evil, might come to nought, and tend to their own overthrow. That is, the psalmist did not wish to imbrue his hands in their blood, or to be made the agent in their destruction; but he desired that God would himself interpose, so that their own plans might be made the means of quelling the rebellion. […]
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
For there is no sincerity in his mouth They appear as friends but they are enemies.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
by their own counsels which they formulate against Israel. Then all who take shelter in You shall rejoice.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הַֽאֲשִׁימֵ֨ם׀ | haashimem | hold guilty them | H816 → | 35 times |
| אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים | ʾelohim | O God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יִפְּלוּ֮ | yipelu | may they fall | H5307 → | 435 times |
| מִֽמֹּעֲצ֪וֹתֵ֫יהֶ֥ם | mimoatzoteihem | from own schemes their | H4156 → | |
| בְּרֹ֣ב | bero | for [the] multitude of | H7230 → | 149 times |
| פִּ֭שְׁעֵיהֶם | pisheihem | transgressions their | H6588 → | 93 times |
| הַדִּיחֵ֑מוֹ | hadichemov | banish them | H5080 → | 55 times |
| כִּי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| מָ֥רוּ | maru | they have rebelled | H4784 → | 45 times |
| בָֽךְ׃ | vakh | against you |
הַֽאֲשִׁימֵ֨ם׀hold guilty them
haashimemH816 →35 times
אֱֽלֹהִ֗יםO God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
יִפְּלוּ֮may they fall
yipeluH5307 →435 times
מִֽמֹּעֲצ֪וֹתֵ֫יהֶ֥םfrom own schemes their
mimoatzoteihemH4156 →
בְּרֹ֣בfor [the] multitude of
beroH7230 →149 times
פִּ֭שְׁעֵיהֶםtransgressions their
pisheihemH6588 →93 times
הַדִּיחֵ֑מוֹbanish them
hadichemovH5080 →55 times
כִּי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
מָ֥רוּthey have rebelled
maruH4784 →45 times
בָֽךְ׃against you
vakh
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 63:10But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So He turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them.
it leads to
- Acts 7:51
You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.
- Ephesians 4:30
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
- Psalms 78:56
But they tested and disobeyed God Most High, for they did not keep His decrees.
- Psalms 78:40
How often they disobeyed Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert!
- Acts 7:51
Through
2 Samuel 15:31Now someone told David: “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David pleaded, “O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 17:14
Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than that of Ahithophel.” For the LORD had purposed to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel in…
- 2 Samuel 17:23
When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He put his affairs in order and hanged himself. So he…
- Psalms 41:9
Even my close friend whom I trusted, the one who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.
- 2 Samuel 17:14
Through
2 Samuel 17:14Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than that of Ahithophel.” For the LORD had purposed to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel in…
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 15:34
But you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me if you return to the city and say to Absalom: ‘I will be your servant, my king; in the past I was your father’s…
- 2 Samuel 15:34
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
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 on the Book of Psalms; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 5; Bonaventure, Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 3; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 1; Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Homily 2, on Psalm 5; 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.