Psalm 21 9

Psalm 21:9 kjv

Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them.

Psalm 21:9 nkjv

You shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger; The LORD shall swallow them up in His wrath, And the fire shall devour them.

Psalm 21:9 niv

When you appear for battle, you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace. The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath, and his fire will consume them.

Psalm 21:9 esv

You will make them as a blazing oven when you appear. The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath, and fire will consume them.

Psalm 21:9 nlt

You will throw them in a flaming furnace
when you appear.
The LORD will consume them in his anger;
fire will devour them.

Psalm 21 verses

Psalm 21 9 Meaning

Psalm 21:9 declares God's decisive and fiery judgment upon the king's (and by extension, God's own) adversaries. It prophesies that in a specific appointed time, particularly when the Divine Presence is revealed, these enemies will become like fuel for a blazing furnace, consumed entirely by the Lord's wrath and destructive fire. The verse underscores the complete and inescapable nature of God's vengeance against those who oppose His anointed and His purposes.

Psalm 21 9 Context

Psalm 21 is a royal psalm, composed as a song of thanksgiving and trust from the community or the king himself, celebrating God's great deliverance and victory given to the king. It immediately follows Psalm 20, which was a prayer for the king's victory before battle. Psalm 21 expresses the king's joy and confidence in the Lord, affirming that God has granted the king's desires (Ps 21:1-6).

Verse 9, therefore, is part of this confident affirmation. Having been granted victory, the king (who here often serves as a type of the Messiah) foresees the ultimate and irreversible destruction of all remaining adversaries. It is a declaration not of human revenge, but of divine judgment that consolidates the king's dominion, reflecting the covenant promise that God will uphold His anointed and defeat their enemies completely. This context frames the verse as a prophecy of the decisive judgment against those who stand in opposition to God's reign and His appointed king, ultimately pointing to Christ's final triumph over all rebellion.

Psalm 21 9 Word analysis

• Thou shalt make them (תְּשִׁיתֵמוֹ, teshiteymo):

  • Thou shalt make: Refers to God's divine action. The verb "make" (שִׁית, shith) can mean to place, set, make, or put. Here, it signifies actively bringing about a state of being.
  • Them: Refers to the "enemies" mentioned implicitly throughout the psalm, those who resist the king and God's purposes (Ps 21:8).
  • Significance: Emphasizes divine sovereignty. It is God Himself who engineers this outcome, not the king alone.

• as a fiery oven (כְּתַנּוּר אֵשׁ, ke'tannur esh):

  • As: Introduces a simile, comparing the enemies' fate to a known object.
  • Fiery oven: (תַּנּוּר אֵשׁ, tannur esh). A "tannur" was a common, enclosed, dome-shaped oven for baking bread, reaching very high temperatures. Adding "esh" (fire) stresses the intensity.
  • Significance: Powerful metaphor for inescapable, complete, and agonizing destruction. The enemies will not just be heated by an oven; they become like the intense, all-consuming heat source itself or the fuel within it, completely engulfed and incinerated from within and without. This implies a thoroughness of judgment.

• in the time of thine anger / when you appear (בְּעֵת פָּנֶיךָ, b'et paneykha):

  • Time: (עֵת, 'et). Denotes a specific, appointed period, not random.
  • Of thine anger / when you appear: (פָּנֶיךָ, paneykha, "your face/presence").
    • Some translations (KJV) render this as "anger" based on ancient textual traditions (LXX, Vulgate) that may have read a slightly different Hebrew vowel pointing or synonymous parallel.
    • The Masoretic Text literally reads "at the time of your face/presence." This means "when You show Your face" or "when You appear."
  • Significance: Connects the judgment directly to a manifestation of God's presence or a specific timing determined by Him. Whether "anger" or "appearance," both point to a revelation of God that is decisively destructive to His foes. This implies a sudden, decisive moment when God steps forth to act.

• the LORD (יהוה, YHWH):

  • The covenant name of God, revealing Him as the sovereign, self-existent One who keeps His promises.
  • Significance: Affirms that this judgment is from the true God of Israel, upholding His covenant faithfulness to the king.

• shall swallow them up (יְבַלְּעֵם, yevalle'em):

  • Swallow them up: (בָּלַע, bala'). A strong verb implying complete consumption, disappearance, making something cease to exist.
  • Significance: Reinforces the thoroughness of the destruction. It's not merely defeat but annihilation.

• in his wrath (בְּאַפֹּו, be'appo):

  • Wrath: (אַף, 'af). Divine wrath, often associated with a "burning" nose (Hebrew idiom), indicating settled, righteous indignation and fury. Not uncontrolled rage, but deliberate justice.
  • Significance: Confirms the judgment stems from God's righteous character, a deserved response to sin and opposition.

• and the fire (וְתֹאכְלֵם אֵשׁ, veto'khlem esh):

  • Fire: (אֵשׁ, esh). Here used both literally (as destructive element) and metaphorically (as consuming judgment).
  • Shall devour them: (תֹּאכְלֵם, to'khlem). From the verb "eat" (אָכַל, 'akhal), indicating total consumption. The verb parallels "swallow up," reinforcing the finality.
  • Significance: Fire is God's instrument of judgment. This doubles down on the earlier imagery, ensuring no doubt about the enemies' fate: complete eradication.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven: This phrase powerfully establishes the metaphor of transformation. The enemies are not merely placed into an oven but become like one, indicating that their very existence is turned into the means of their own destruction or the substance being consumed by the ultimate divine heat. It highlights that God doesn't just judge; He brings the enemies to a state where judgment is inherent to them.

• in the time of thine anger / when you appear: This specifies the precise timing and context of the judgment. It's not random, but an appointed, sovereign moment, directly connected to the revelation of God's holy character and indignation. This 'appearance' suggests a manifest display of divine power and glory, leading to judgment for those found in opposition. It could point to an immediate display in the king's era, or ultimately to the "Day of the Lord."

• the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them: This latter part reiterates and expands upon the first, adding intensity and detail. The use of "LORD" (YHWH) emphasizes the covenant God's faithfulness to His anointed. "Swallow up" and "devour" are synonyms for complete eradication, while "in his wrath" grounds this destruction in God's just nature. The dual action of "swallowing up" and "devouring by fire" underscores an inescapable, twofold, and final annihilation.

Psalm 21 9 Bonus section

• The "fiery oven" (תַּנּוּר, tannur) was common in ancient Near Eastern homes and bakeries. The image carries connotations of a suffocating, super-heated, inescapable enclosure, where things are intensely cooked or incinerated. This is intensified by associating the enemies with the oven itself or its blazing heat, not merely a victim in an oven.
• The slight textual variant regarding "anger" vs. "face/appearing" does not alter the ultimate meaning of divine, decisive judgment. Both concepts link God's presence or righteous indignation to the consuming fire of His justice. "At the time of your face" (Hebrew) points to a manifestation of God's person, while "at the time of your anger" (LXX translation influencing KJV) points to the result of that manifestation.
• This verse contributes to the understanding of the Messiah's dual role: victorious King (celebrated in the earlier verses of Psa 21) and decisive Judge (as seen here). It foreshadows Jesus' authority to execute judgment upon those who reject His rule, echoing prophecies like those in Daniel and Revelation where the Messiah triumphs through overwhelming divine power.
• The comprehensive nature of the judgment ("swallow them up," "devour them") suggests that not only the actions but the very being and power of the adversaries will be nullified by God's sovereign wrath.

Psalm 21 9 Commentary

Psalm 21:9 functions as a strong declaration of ultimate divine judgment upon those who resist God's anointed King. It is a powerful affirmation that no opposition to God's kingdom will ultimately stand. The core imagery revolves around fire and consumption: the enemies are turned into fuel for a "fiery oven" by God's decree, and subsequently, the Lord Himself, in His righteous wrath, swallows them up and fire devours them completely.

This verse reveals several key theological truths. Firstly, it underscores the sovereignty of God in judgment. It is "Thou," the LORD, who makes them, swallows them, and whose fire consumes them. This is not the king's human vengeance but God's divine act of justice. Secondly, the phrase "in the time of thine anger" or "when you appear" points to a specific, decisive moment of divine intervention. This implies that judgment is not arbitrary but unfolds according to God's perfect timing and purpose, often linked to a manifest display of His glory or presence. For the Old Testament king, this might refer to a decisive battle. For the greater King, Christ, it refers to His second coming and the final judgment.

Thirdly, the vivid imagery of the "fiery oven" and fire devouring emphasizes the thoroughness, agony, and inescapability of this judgment. Fire in scripture often signifies God's holiness, His purifying presence, but also His destructive power against sin and rebellion. It suggests that nothing of the enemies will remain; their very essence will be consumed. This aligns with biblical depictions of ultimate judgment, such as the final destiny of the wicked (Mal 4:1) or the destructive return of Christ (2 Thes 1:7-9). The repeated idea of being "swallowed up" and "devoured" stresses absolute annihilation and absence of escape. The Psalm thus shifts from the immediate victory of an earthly king to the broader, eternal triumph of the King of Kings, Jesus Christ, over all His spiritual and physical adversaries.