Psalm 141:6 kjv
When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.
Psalm 141:6 nkjv
Their judges are overthrown by the sides of the cliff, And they hear my words, for they are sweet.
Psalm 141:6 niv
Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs, and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.
Psalm 141:6 esv
When their judges are thrown over the cliff, then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
Psalm 141:6 nlt
When their leaders are thrown down from a cliff,
the wicked will listen to my words and find them true.
Psalm 141 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 73:18-19 | "Surely you set them in slippery places... swept away by terrors!" | Judgment on the wicked/proud |
| Prov 16:18 | "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." | Downfall due to arrogance |
| Dan 4:33-37 | "Nebuchadnezzar was driven from among men... till he knew the Most High rules." | Humbling leads to recognizing God |
| Isa 2:19-21 | "Men will go into caves and holes of the earth... from the terror of the Lord." | Hiding in rocks during divine judgment |
| Rev 6:15-16 | "They called to the mountains and rocks, 'Fall on us... from the wrath of the Lamb!'" | People seek rocks for shelter from judgment |
| Ps 119:103 | "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" | The sweetness of God's Word |
| Jer 15:16 | "Your words were found, and I ate them... and your words became to me a joy." | The joy found in God's words |
| Ez 3:3 | "I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth." | The pleasantness of God's message |
| Ps 58:6-7 | "O God, break the teeth in their mouths... let them melt away like a slug." | Violent judgment against oppressors |
| Ps 37:12-13 | "The wicked plot against the righteous... the Lord laughs at them, for he sees that their day is coming." | God oversees the wicked's downfall |
| Ps 52:5 | "But God will break you down forever; he will snatch you away and uproot you." | Destruction of the proud oppressor |
| 1 Sam 2:7-8 | "The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts." | God's sovereignty over status and power |
| Isa 5:13 | "Therefore my people go into exile for lack of knowledge." | Consequences of rejecting truth/knowledge |
| Hos 4:6 | "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." | Destruction due to rejection of divine instruction |
| John 5:24 | "Whoever hears my word and believes... has eternal life." | Importance of hearing Christ's words |
| Matt 7:24-27 | "Everyone then who hears these words of mine... is like a wise builder." | Hearing and obeying Christ's teachings |
| Luke 13:34 | "O Jerusalem... how often would I have gathered your children... and you were unwilling!" | Unwillingness to hear saving words |
| Acts 7:51 | "You stiff-necked people... you always resist the Holy Spirit." | Resistance to God's Spirit and truth |
| Acts 2:37 | "When they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said... 'What shall we do?'" | Conviction and readiness to hear after judgment (of sin) |
| Rom 11:7-8 | "What Israel sought, it failed to obtain, but the elect obtained it... God gave them a spirit of stupor." | Hardening results in inability to hear |
| Isa 28:13 | "So the word of the Lord will be to them precept upon precept... that they may stumble." | When God's words are resisted, they bring judgment |
| Zech 8:20-23 | "Thus says the Lord of hosts: Peoples shall yet come... from many cities... and they shall entreat." | Nations coming to hear God after divine work |
Psalm 141 verses
Psalm 141 6 Meaning
Psalm 141:6 is a prophetic statement concerning the vindication of the righteous and the just judgment upon the wicked. It anticipates a time when the corrupt rulers and persecutors, described as "their judges," will experience a profound downfall, being "cast down in stony places." In their humbled state, they will then be compelled to acknowledge the truth and rightness of David's words – perhaps his testimony of faith, his prayers, or his righteous declarations – finding them to be "sweet," indicating their beneficial, accurate, or even comforting nature in light of their circumstances. This verse underscores God's sovereignty over human authority and His ultimate justice, where humility and truth prevail after pride is brought low.
Psalm 141 6 Context
Psalm 141 is a personal prayer of David during a time of great peril, likely when he was fleeing from adversaries and surrounded by evil. He pleads with the Lord for protection from temptations and wicked influences. He prays for his words and actions to remain righteous, especially his speech, asking God to set a guard over his mouth. David is acutely aware of the snares laid by the wicked and prays for divine preservation, lest he fall into their evil ways or share their fate. Verse 6 functions as a prophetic interjection within this prayer, expressing David's conviction that the very persecutors who now set traps for him will face God's justice. The context anticipates a reversal of fortune, where the current oppressors will be humbled, and David's righteous path will be vindicated.
Psalm 141 6 Word analysis
- When their judges: (Hebrew: machatzreyhem, related to shaphat meaning to judge or rule). This refers to the wicked, ungodly rulers or influential leaders who were David's adversaries. These "judges" wielded power but abused it, and their authority was considered unjust from David's perspective, who understood divine justice. This implies a significant level of authority and influence that these individuals possessed, which God would then decisively bring low.
- are cast down: (Hebrew: balâ‘at, root BL‘ - to swallow, consume, gulp down). This word signifies a sudden, violent, and complete downfall or destruction. It conveys being overwhelmed or consumed by an event. While it can mean "swallowed up," here it indicates a forceful removal from power or position, implying an active judgment rather than a passive event. It emphasizes the swift and inescapable nature of their undoing.
- in stony places: (Hebrew: el-sela‘, "onto/into rock/cliff"). "Sela" (rock) in this context denotes desolate, rough, or precipitous terrain, often associated with destruction or exposed vulnerability. It implies a place where one is dashed or thrown, signifying utter ruin and lack of refuge. Unlike a rock as a metaphor for God's strength, here the rock is the hard surface of judgment they fall onto. It also implies a hidden or solitary place where their judgment occurs, perhaps away from the public eye of their former power.
- they shall hear: (Hebrew: v'sham‘u, root shamah - to hear, listen, obey). This denotes a future, definite action. It's not just physical hearing, but a hearing with understanding and acknowledgement. The "waw" (v') can be a consecutive conjunction, linking their downfall to their hearing, indicating a direct cause-and-effect. It suggests that their prior rejection of truth will cease once humbled.
- my words: (Hebrew: amârai, "my sayings" or "my utterances"). These are David's righteous declarations, his prayers to God, his prophetic utterances of God's truth, or simply his testimony and wisdom based on a covenant relationship with the Lord. It signifies the wisdom and truth that the wicked had previously scorned.
- for they are sweet: (Hebrew: na‘emu, root na‘am - to be pleasant, delightful, beautiful, charming). This highlights the quality of David's words. Previously disregarded or even offensive to the wicked, they will now be recognized as pleasing, true, beneficial, and perhaps even a source of comfort or revelation for those who are humbled. The "sweetness" implies the appeal and wisdom of God's truth, now perceivable when arrogance has been removed.
Psalm 141 6 Bonus section
The interpretation of balâ‘at machatzreyhem el-sela‘ is complex among scholars. Some readings suggest internal strife leading to the judges consuming or turning on each other ("their judges were swallowed by the rock," meaning their own foundations consumed them, or they were consumed by their own stony judgments). However, the prevalent and stronger understanding supported by the wider biblical context of divine judgment is that God brings them down onto the rocks. The "stony places" also carry a connotation of desolation and remoteness, signifying that their downfall will be complete and possibly isolating. The prophetic certainty expressed in the future tense ("they shall hear") is significant; it is a declaration of future reality by a man trusting in the Lord, despite his current suffering.
Psalm 141 6 Commentary
Psalm 141:6 vividly portrays divine retribution against corrupt authority. David's prayer of protection includes a confident prophecy of his adversaries' downfall. The "judges" represent wicked rulers who misuse their power, and their being "cast down in stony places" signifies a catastrophic and humiliating collapse from their high positions of influence and security. This is not a casual descent but a violent, complete, and irreversible act of judgment, exposing them to ruin. This downfall breaks their arrogance and resistance.
Once stripped of their power and humbled by experience, these formerly deafened leaders will finally be in a state to "hear" David's words. These "words" are not just human speech, but are infused with the wisdom and righteousness that flow from God. They were previously unheeded, perhaps seen as weakness or foolishness by the powerful. However, post-judgment, these same words will be perceived as "sweet"—not just pleasant, but recognized as true, wise, just, and even salvific. Their past suffering will validate the warnings or righteous proclamations David made. The verse demonstrates that divine judgment serves not merely as punishment, but often as a means to humble the proud, break their spiritual deafness, and make them receptive to God's truth, even through the testimony of His servants.
This divine process underscores that ultimately, no human authority is beyond God's reach, and His justice ensures that truth, once rejected, will be ultimately vindicated and seen for its inherent goodness. This principle applies in broader biblical narratives where humbling experiences lead to a turning toward God's ways (e.g., Nebuchadnezzar, Manasseh).