Psalm 36:12 kjv
There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.
Psalm 36:12 nkjv
There the workers of iniquity have fallen; They have been cast down and are not able to rise.
Psalm 36:12 niv
See how the evildoers lie fallen? thrown down, not able to rise!
Psalm 36:12 esv
There the evildoers lie fallen; they are thrust down, unable to rise.
Psalm 36:12 nlt
Look! Those who do evil have fallen!
They are thrown down, never to rise again.
Psalm 36 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 1:4-5 | The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away... | Wicked's fleeting existence; unable to stand in judgment. |
| Ps 7:9 | Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end... | Prayer for end of wicked and establishment of righteous. |
| Ps 9:15-16 | The nations have sunk in the pit... the wicked are snared in the work... | Wicked ensnared by their own deeds; God's justice seen. |
| Ps 11:5-6 | The LORD tests the righteous... but the wicked and the one who loves violence his soul hates. Upon the wicked he will rain... | God hates wickedness and executes fiery judgment. |
| Ps 37:20 | But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the LORD... vanish. | Wicked shall utterly perish and fade away. |
| Ps 58:10-11 | The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance... | Righteous will witness divine justice. |
| Ps 73:17-20 | ...till I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end. Surely you set them in slippery places... | Understanding the swift, sudden destruction of the wicked. |
| Ps 145:20 | The LORD preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. | God destroys all who persist in wickedness. |
| Prov 4:19 | The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble. | The moral instability and inevitable stumble of the wicked. |
| Prov 24:16 | For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked stumble in time of calamity. | Contrast: Righteous recover, wicked fall finally. |
| Job 8:22 | Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked will be no more. | The ultimate disgrace and eradication of the wicked. |
| Isa 24:20 | The earth will sway like a drunkard... its transgression weighs it down; it will fall and not rise again. | Imagery of cosmic fall due to sin, no recovery. |
| Isa 26:11 | ...They will see your zeal for your people, and be shamed... fire will consume your adversaries. | Wicked will be shamed and consumed by God's judgment. |
| Mal 4:1 | "For behold, the day is coming... all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble... consume them." | Final judgment, burning up of evildoers. |
| Rom 2:6-9 | He will render to each one according to his works... tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil. | God's impartial judgment according to deeds. |
| 2 Thes 1:9 | They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord. | Eternal and permanent judgment for the disobedient. |
| Mt 13:41-42 | The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather... all causes of sin and evildoers, and throw them... | Parable of weeds, wicked thrown into furnace. |
| Lk 1:52-53 | He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things... | God's reversal of fortunes, humbling the proud. |
| Rev 19:19-20 | ...And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet... these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire... | Ultimate end of the great evil powers, irrevocably cast. |
| Rev 20:10 | And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire... torment them day and night forever and ever. | Final, irreversible doom of the arch-deceiver. |
| Jn 5:28-29 | For an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. | Resurrection to judgment for evildoers. |
Psalm 36 verses
Psalm 36 12 Meaning
Psalm 36:12 declares with certainty the ultimate downfall and irreversible defeat of those who practice evil. It shifts from the prayer and trust in God's righteousness found in preceding verses to a confident affirmation of divine justice. The evildoers, who may seemingly prosper for a time, are portrayed as having already met their deserved fate, irrevocably cast down and rendered powerless. This verse stands as a powerful testament to the sovereign justice of God.
Psalm 36 12 Context
Psalm 36 transitions sharply from detailing the depravity of humanity (Ps 36:1-4) to extolling the boundless goodness and faithfulness of God (Ps 36:5-9). The psalmist then offers a prayer for God's continued favor and protection upon the righteous (Ps 36:10-11). Verse 12 serves as the concluding declaration, a confident prophetic utterance that responds to the prayer by foretelling the sure and total defeat of the wicked. It acts as an assurance of divine retribution, emphasizing that despite their temporary prosperity or oppressive actions, the workers of iniquity will not ultimately prevail against God’s justice and the righteousness He upholds. The "there" likely refers to the scene of divine judgment, whether a spiritual reality or a future event, where the wicked are inevitably overcome.
Psalm 36 12 Word analysis
- "There" (שָׁם - sham): This adverb signifies a specific place or state. In this context, it emphasizes the very location or moment where the wicked were operating, perhaps even within their spheres of power, becoming the site of their downfall. It can imply a swift and localized judgment. Its repetition from the second part of the clause ("lie fallen there") provides a strong rhetorical emphasis, pinpointing the scene of their ultimate failure.
- "evildoers" (פֹּעֲלֵי אָ֫וֶן - po'alei aven): Literally "workers of iniquity" or "those who practice evil." This term denotes not just occasional wrongdoers, but those whose habitual actions are characterized by harm, injustice, or rebellion against divine law. "Aven" (iniquity/wickedness) signifies grievous moral evil, often linked to emptiness or worthlessness.
- "lie fallen" (נָפְלוּ - naflu): The Hebrew verb is in the perfect tense, indicating a completed action with enduring consequences. They are not merely falling but have already fallen, expressing the certainty and accomplished nature of their ruin from God's perspective. It suggests defeat, collapse, or death, often referring to a complete loss of power or position.
- "they are thrown down" (הֻשְׁלְכוּ - hushlekhu): This is a Hophal (passive, causative) perfect verb, meaning they have been caused to be thrown down or cast out. This indicates an external agent – God Himself – as the one actively bringing about their downfall, not just a passive fall. It implies a violent, decisive, and complete expulsion or overthrow, a definitive act of judgment.
- "and cannot rise" (וְלֹא יֻכְלוּ קוּם - v'lo yukh'lu qum): This phrase emphasizes the absolute finality of their defeat. "V'lo" (and not) is a strong negation. "Yukh'lu" (they will be able) is in the imperfect, implying inability to act in the future. "Qum" (to stand, rise up) signifies recovering power, resuming their former status, or even rising from death/defeat. The combined phrase means they possess no inherent power or possibility of recovering from this devastating blow.
Words-group analysis:
- "There the evildoers lie fallen": This phrase dramatically sets the scene. The "there" brings immediacy to the declaration, presenting the downfall of the wicked not as a distant future event, but as a decided, inevitable reality already certain in the divine purpose. The phrase "lie fallen" emphasizes their defeat as a settled condition, not just a momentary stumble.
- "they are thrown down and cannot rise": This reinforces the irreversible nature of their demise. The passive voice ("thrown down") powerfully highlights divine agency in their judgment. They are not just weak but actively dealt with by God. The emphatic negation "cannot rise" seals their fate, denying any hope of recovery, resilience, or return to prominence. This forms a sharp contrast with the righteous who "fall seven times and rise again" (Prov 24:16).
Psalm 36 12 Bonus section
The strong imagery in Ps 36:12 contrasts with common human perception, where the wicked often seem to thrive without immediate consequences. The psalmist here offers a divine perspective, revealing that their apparent stability is fleeting, and their downfall is already assured in the counsel of God. This truth is a cornerstone of biblical theology: evil carries its own judgment, and ultimately, God will justly deal with all unrighteousness. The emphatic nature of "cannot rise" provides a strong boundary to the limitations of human and demonic power in the face of God's sovereign will and righteous judgment. This declaration anticipates the complete and final separation of the righteous from the wicked in the eternal scheme of things.
Psalm 36 12 Commentary
Psalm 36:12 serves as the triumphant conclusion to a psalm that begins with a stark portrayal of human wickedness and transitions into a magnificent ode to God's steadfast love and righteousness. After prayer for the righteous, this verse proclaims the confident expectation and assured outcome regarding the wicked. It's not a prayer for their downfall, but a definitive declaration that their fall is an accomplished fact from God's eternal perspective. Their actions, motivated by deep-seated rebellion against God's law, inevitably lead to their utter destruction. The choice of words — "fallen," "thrown down," and "cannot rise" — paints a vivid picture of a permanent, crushing defeat inflicted by a divine hand. This offers immense comfort and assurance to the righteous who endure persecution or witness the apparent prosperity of evil, reminding them that God's justice is perfect and will ultimately prevail. It underscores that despite any earthly power or temporal success the wicked might attain, their ultimate destiny is complete ruin, devoid of any hope for restoration.