Psalm 140 10

Psalm 140:10 kjv

Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

Psalm 140:10 nkjv

Let burning coals fall upon them; Let them be cast into the fire, Into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

Psalm 140:10 niv

May burning coals fall on them; may they be thrown into the fire, into miry pits, never to rise.

Psalm 140:10 esv

Let burning coals fall upon them! Let them be cast into fire, into miry pits, no more to rise!

Psalm 140:10 nlt

Let burning coals fall down on their heads.
Let them be thrown into the fire
or into watery pits from which they can't escape.

Psalm 140 verses

Psalm 140 10 Meaning

Psalm 140:10 is an imprecatory prayer from David, asking God to bring severe and final judgment upon his adversaries. It requests that consuming fire and inescapable calamity befall them, leading to their absolute and irreversible downfall, symbolizing a wish for their utter destruction and cessation of their malicious actions. The plea is for divine justice against those who relentlessly plot and execute evil against the righteous.

Psalm 140 10 Context

Psalm 140 is a fervent prayer of David, a lament and an appeal for divine deliverance from violent, deceptive, and slanderous enemies. The psalm portrays David's experience of constant threats, traps, and malicious schemes laid against him by wicked men. Throughout the psalm, David expresses his profound trust in God as his Protector and righteous Judge, relying solely on Him for justice and salvation. Verse 10 specifically articulates a plea for God to execute ultimate judgment upon these persistent adversaries, seeking not personal revenge but a righteous vindication through divine action, so that their evil can be halted and God's justice established. This imprecatory language reflects the Old Testament understanding of a just God who judges wickedness and upholds the cause of the righteous, often contrasted with the lack of earthly justice for the suffering.

Psalm 140 10 Word analysis

• Let burning coals: The Hebrew word is גֶּחָלִים (geḥālīm), referring to live coals or glowing embers. This imagery frequently appears in Scripture as an instrument of divine judgment (e.g., Ps 18:8, 12-13; Ps 120:4). It signifies consuming destruction, a scorching wrath, and often rapid, intense punishment emanating directly from God's presence.
• fall upon them: The verb is יִפֹּלוּ (yipolū), meaning "they fall." It denotes a sudden, unavoidable, and calamitous event. This is not something they inflict upon themselves but rather a divine action initiated by God, suggesting an irresistible force that leads to their demise.
• let them be cast: The Hebrew verb is יַשְׁלִכֵם (yašlikhēm), meaning "he throws them" or "he casts them." This emphasizes an active, decisive, and forceful expulsion by God Himself. It implies their removal from any position of influence or safety, directly into ruin.
• into the fire: בָּאֵשׁ (baʾēš). Fire is a consistent biblical metaphor for purification, divine wrath, and judgment. In the context of the wicked, it invariably signifies consuming destruction, removal, and final condemnation. It underscores the severity and completeness of the desired judgment.
• into deep pits: The Hebrew is בְּמַהֲמֹרוֹת (bəmahămōrōt), which are often rendered as "chasms," "gulphs," "precipices," or "pits of destruction/ruin." This suggests not just falling into a pit, but into an abyss, an unescapable, irretrievable state of utter collapse and ruin. The imagery conveys the idea of a comprehensive and inescapable disaster from which there is no ascent or recovery. This also subtly reflects a polemic against beliefs that deities could be evaded or that actions would have no consequence, asserting God's inescapable reach.
• never to rise again: לֹא־יָקוּמוּ (lōʾ yāqūmū). This phrase expresses the absolute finality of their downfall. "Rise again" (קוּמוּ) typically means to stand up, recover, or re-establish oneself. Its negation emphasizes that the judgment requested is complete and irreversible; their power, influence, and very existence are utterly terminated, with no hope of resurgence or redemption. This implies not only physical demise but also a cessation of their evil works and plots.

• "Let burning coals fall upon them; let them be cast into the fire...": This powerful parallelism employs a vivid picture of divine, fiery judgment. The imagery of "burning coals" implies immediate, scorching, and painful retribution, while "cast into the fire" emphasizes being completely engulfed by consuming wrath, representing comprehensive destruction initiated by God's decree.
• "...into deep pits, never to rise again.": This second parallel phrase reinforces the concept of ultimate, inescapable, and irreversible ruin. "Deep pits" signifies a place of total entrapment, isolation, and decay, far beyond any possibility of escape or recovery. The concluding "never to rise again" explicitly declares the permanence and finality of this divine judgment, confirming that their power, plots, and presence will be completely extinguished.

Psalm 140 10 Bonus section

The concept of "imprecatory psalms" (those calling for God's judgment on enemies) like Psalm 140:10 has often been a point of discussion among believers. Scholars generally highlight that these prayers arise from a profound conviction in God's justice, not from a desire for personal vengeance. They are rooted in a theology where God is righteous and holy, and His nature demands the condemnation of sin. Furthermore, these psalms often represent the corporate prayers of a persecuted community, crying out for the vindication of God's Name and covenant in a world hostile to His people. They serve to remind the wicked that God sees their actions and that His judgment is real and inevitable. They also encourage the suffering righteous that their ultimate deliverance and justice will come from God alone, not from their own strength or retribution. This perspective aligns with later New Testament teachings to "not repay evil for evil" but to "leave it to the wrath of God" (Rom 12:19), showing a continuity in leaving ultimate judgment to the divine authority.

Psalm 140 10 Commentary

Psalm 140:10 stands as a poignant example of imprecatory prayer, where David pours out his heart to God concerning the malevolence of his enemies. It's crucial to understand that such prayers are not expressions of personal vindictiveness, nor are they pleas for an individual to take justice into their own hands. Instead, they are appeals to God as the sovereign and righteous Judge of all the earth. David, living under the Old Covenant, recognized God’s holy hatred for sin and injustice, and in his vulnerability, he cried out for God to intervene and demonstrate His righteous character by judging the wicked. The request for "burning coals" and being "cast into the fire" points to divine wrath, mirroring the imagery often associated with God’s presence and His dealings with unrighteousness in Scripture (e.g., God raining fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, Gen 19:24). The desire for them to fall into "deep pits" and "never to rise again" signifies a longing for a complete, final, and irreversible end to the schemes and existence of those who continually work evil, allowing justice to prevail and peace for the righteous. This ultimately reflects a trust that God will indeed fulfill His promises to separate the righteous from the wicked and to bring about recompense for injustice.