Psalms 79:12
in Psalms 79Pay back into the laps of our neighbors sevenfold the reproach they hurled at You, O Lord.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And render unto our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom Their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.
KJV
And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.
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This verse in Psalms 79
Commentary
9 notes on this verseRender to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom. It seems to me that he does not ask against them, but for them: that is, give them your sabbath. Now "sabbath" is interpreted as rest. What he says is this: make them rest in their wickedness. Or else, otherwise: render it to them here, and do not render it to them in the time to come.
This site's exposition
Pay back into the laps of our neighbors
on Psalms 79:12-13
The psalm asks God to pay the reproach back sevenfold into the laps of the neighbors who hurled it at Him. The repaying is left to God. Then the sheep of His pasture vow thanks forever, and the shepherd picture returns at Psalm 80:1.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And render unto our neighbours seven fold into their bosom, Not seven fold for one, as the Targum paraphrases it, or a seven fold punishment for one sin; but that he would recompense their sins, or punish for them, and take vengeance on them, largely, abundantly, though not beyond measure, or exceeding the rules of justice; see Gen 4:15, the reproach with which they have reproached thee, O Lord; by denying his being, or calling in question his perfections of power, truth, and goodness, to help his people; speaking ill of his providence, despising his word and ordinances, and even reproaching his people in reproaching him, Psa 89:50, and this is what a righteous recompence is desired for; see Lam 3:
This prayer is a prophecy, of the same import with that of Enoch, that God will convince sinners of all their hard speeches which they have spoken against him ( Jude 15 ) and will return them into their own bosoms by everlasting terrors at the remembrance of them.
); but, if we be delivered, we will praise thee. Lord, we are that people of thine which thou hast formed for thyself, to show forth thy praise; if we be cut off, whence shall that rent, that tribute, be raised?" Note, Those lives that are entirely devoted to God's praise are assuredly taken under his protection.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
into their bosom--The lap or folds of the dress is used by Eastern people for receiving articles. The figure denotes retaliation (compare Isa 65:6, 7).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
"And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord." They denied thine existence, mocked thy power, insulted thy worship, and destroyed thy house; up, therefore, O Lord, and make them feel to the full that thou art not to be mocked with impunity. Pour into their laps good store of shame because they dared insult the God of Israel. Recompense them fully, till they have received the perfect number of punishments. It will be so. The wish of the text will become matter of fact.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Sevenfold into their bosom - That is, Let them get in this world what they deserve for the cruelties they have inflicted on us. Let them suffer in captivity, who now have us in bondage. Probably this is a prediction.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And render unto our neighbors - That is, the neighbors who had reproached them; the surrounding people who had seen these calamities come upon them, and who had regarded these calamities as proof that their God was unable to protect them, or that they were suffering under his displeasure. See the notes at Psa 79:4. “Sevenfold.” Seven times the amount of reproach which they have heaped upon us. The word seven is often used to denote many, as seven was one of the perfect numbers. The idea is that of complete or full vengeance. Compare Gen 4:15, Gen 4:24; Pro 6:31; Isa 30:26; Mat 18:21-22; Luk 17:4. Into their bosom ... - Perhaps the allusion here is to the custom of carrying things in the bosom of the flowing dress as it was girded around the loins. “Let them be made to carry with them seven times the amount of reproach which they have endeavored to heap on us.”
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהָ֘שֵׁ֤ב | vehashev | and repay | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| לִשְׁכֵנֵ֣ינוּ | lishkheneinu | to neighbors our | H7934 → | 20 times |
| שִׁ֭בְעָתַיִם | shivatayim | sevenfold | H7659 → | |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| חֵיקָ֑ם | cheikam | bosom their | H2436 → | 38 times |
| חֶרְפָּ֘תָ֤ם | cherpatam | reproach their | H2781 → | 73 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֖ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| חֵרְפ֣וּךָ | cherefukha | they reproached you | H2778 → | 41 times |
| אֲדֹנָֽי׃ | ʾadonai | O Lord | H136 → | 440 times |
וְהָ֘שֵׁ֤בand repay
vehashevH7725 →1056 times
לִשְׁכֵנֵ֣ינוּto neighbors our
lishkheneinuH7934 →20 times
שִׁ֭בְעָתַיִםsevenfold
shivatayimH7659 →
אֶל־into
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
חֵיקָ֑םbosom their
cheikamH2436 →38 times
חֶרְפָּ֘תָ֤םreproach their
cherpatamH2781 →73 times
אֲשֶׁ֖רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
חֵרְפ֣וּךָthey reproached you
cherefukhaH2778 →41 times
אֲדֹנָֽי׃O Lord
ʾadonaiH136 →440 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
Proverbs 6:31Yet if caught, he must pay sevenfold; he must give up all the wealth of his house.
it leads to
- Luke 19:8
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will repay it fourfold.”
- Exodus 22:1–4
“If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters or sells it, he must repay five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep.
- Job 20:18
He must return the fruit of his labor without consuming it; he cannot enjoy the profits of his trading.
- 2 Samuel 12:6
Because he has done this thing and has shown no pity, he must pay for the lamb four times over.”
- Luke 19:8
Through
Genesis 4:15“Not so!” replied the LORD. “If anyone slays Cain, then Cain will be avenged sevenfold.” And the LORD placed a mark on Cain, so that no one who found him would kill him.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 9:4
“Go throughout the city of Jerusalem,” said the LORD, “and put a mark on the foreheads of the men sighing and groaning over all the abominations committed there.”
- Ezekiel 9:4
Through
Jeremiah 32:18You show loving devotion to thousands but lay the iniquity of the fathers into the laps of their children after them, O great and mighty God whose name is the LORD of Hosts,
it leads to
- Jeremiah 10:16
The Portion of Jacob is not like these, for He is the Maker of all things, and Israel is the tribe of His inheritance—the LORD of Hosts is His name.
- Exodus 34:7
maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children and…
- Deuteronomy 5:9–10
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth…
- Jeremiah 10:16
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); Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 4; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Homily 12, on Psalm 78; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.