Psalm 64:7 kjv
But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.
Psalm 64:7 nkjv
But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; Suddenly they shall be wounded.
Psalm 64:7 niv
But God will shoot them with his arrows; they will suddenly be struck down.
Psalm 64:7 esv
But God shoots his arrow at them; they are wounded suddenly.
Psalm 64:7 nlt
But God himself will shoot them with his arrows,
suddenly striking them down.
Psalm 64 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference (Short Note) |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 32:23 | "I will heap disasters upon them; I will spend My arrows on them..." | God's arrows as instruments of judgment. |
| Judg 9:57 | "...And on them came the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal." | Wicked receive their just desserts. |
| 1 Sam 2:9 | "...For by strength shall no man prevail." | Human schemes ultimately fail against divine power. |
| Ps 7:15-16 | "He made a pit... and has fallen into the pit which he made... His trouble shall return upon his own head..." | Wicked caught in their own snares, a thematic echo. |
| Ps 9:15-16 | "The nations have sunk in the pit... In the net which they hid, their own foot is caught." | Wicked trapped by their own devices. |
| Ps 18:14 | "He shot out His arrows and scattered them; He sent out lightnings and discomfited them." | God’s direct, powerful intervention in battle. |
| Ps 21:12 | "For You will make them turn their back; You will aim Your arrows at their faces." | God actively targeting enemies with judgment. |
| Ps 35:8 | "Let destruction come upon him by surprise... and let him fall into that very destruction." | Sudden, unexpected downfall of adversaries. |
| Ps 46:1 | "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." | God as the ultimate protector and helper. |
| Ps 55:23 | "...Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days..." | God cuts short the lives/schemes of the wicked. |
| Ps 57:4 | "...Sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword." | Enemies' words are likened to weapons; God counters them. |
| Ps 64:8 | "So they will make their own tongue stumble over themselves; All who see them will shake their heads." | Immediate context: their own evil speech causes their fall. |
| Prov 11:3 | "The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them." | Self-destructive nature of wickedness. |
| Prov 29:1 | "He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond remedy." | Sudden and irreversible judgment for the obstinate. |
| Lam 3:12 | "He has bent His bow and set me as a target for the arrow." | God's sovereign hand uses arrows for specific purposes. |
| Hab 3:11 | "...At the flash of Your arrows, they sped forth..." | God's rapid and bright judgment against adversaries. |
| Matt 24:36-39 | "But of that day and hour no one knows... so also will be the coming of the Son of Man." | The sudden, unexpected nature of ultimate judgment. |
| 1 Thes 5:3 | "For when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes upon them..." | Warning of unexpected judgment for those unprepared. |
| Heb 10:30 | "For we know Him who said, 'Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,' says the Lord." | God's prerogative to enact justice. |
| Job 6:4 | "For the arrows of the Almighty are within me..." | Arrows symbolizing God's deep and pervasive judgments. |
| 2 Pet 2:3 | "...Their destruction does not slumber." | God's judgment is constantly active and ready to strike. |
| Exo 14:14 | "The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." | God actively defends His people against foes. |
| Rom 12:19 | "...'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord." | Reiteration of God's role as judge and avenger. |
| Zech 9:14 | "The Lord will appear over them; And His arrow will go forth like lightning." | God's decisive, powerful action likened to lightning fast arrows. |
| Mal 3:5 | "I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers, against perjurers..." | God's swift justice against specific sins. |
| Deut 32:35 | "Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; In due time their foot will slip..." | Judgment for the wicked will surely come at the appointed time. |
Psalm 64 verses
Psalm 64 7 Meaning
Psalm 64:7 proclaims the divine counter-action to the wicked’s insidious plotting. While the enemies conspire secretly to shoot down the blameless with bitter words and concealed traps, God Himself intervenes. The verse describes God delivering a sudden and inescapable judgment, likened to an arrow, that strikes down the wicked, ensuring their downfall when they least expect it. This highlights God’s sovereign power and His commitment to executing justice swiftly and decisively.
Psalm 64 7 Context
Psalm 64 is a fervent prayer of David seeking God's protection from his enemies who secretly plot and devise malicious mischief. These adversaries speak "bitter words" (v. 3), sharpening their tongues like swords and aiming their words like "arrows." They embolden themselves in their evil designs, intending to lay hidden snares for the blameless. Verse 7 serves as the climactic reversal, following David's petition and depiction of the wicked's schemes (v. 1-6). It pivots the focus from the wicked’s activity to God’s decisive and powerful intervention. The verse signifies that even the most cunning and clandestine human machinations are powerless against divine judgment. Historically, this aligns with periods of David's life where he faced internal and external conspiracies (e.g., against Saul, Absalom), and his confidence remained in God as the ultimate arbiter of justice, delivering retribution upon those who secretly oppressed the righteous.
Psalm 64 7 Word analysis
- But God (וֵאלֹהִים, wêʾĕlōhîm): The emphatic conjunction "But" signals a sharp contrast to the enemies' preceding actions (Ps 64:2-6), immediately shifting the focus from human malice to divine sovereignty. "God" (Elohim) here highlights His mighty power, covenant faithfulness, and supreme authority as the ultimate Judge and ruler of creation, capable of reversing any human design. It sets up the immediate counter-narrative to human wickedness.
- will shoot (יֹרֵם, yōrēm): From the Hebrew verb יָרָה (yarah), meaning "to throw," "cast," or specifically "to shoot with arrows." This active verb portrays God as directly involved and personally delivering the judgment, not merely allowing it. The imagery implies intentionality, precision, and unstoppable force.
- at them (אוֹתָ֑ם, ʾôṯām): The direct object refers specifically to the conspiring enemies mentioned in the preceding verses. It underscores that God's action is aimed precisely at those who have directed their malice against the righteous.
- with an arrow (חֵ֣ץ, ḥēṣ): An arrow is a weapon known for its swiftness, suddenness, and ability to strike from a distance. In biblical imagery, God's "arrows" frequently symbolize divine judgments, calamities, or swift punitive actions (Deut 32:23; Job 6:4; Lam 3:12). This powerfully conveys the method of God’s intervention as direct, penetrating, and lethal to their wicked plans.
- Suddenly (פֶ֝תַע, petaʿ): An adverb denoting immediacy, without warning, unexpectedly. This crucial word parallels the enemies’ stealthy ambush (Ps 64:4, "suddenly and secretly"), creating an ironic turn where the surprise they intended for others is now unleashed upon themselves by God. It emphasizes the unpredictability and inescapability of divine judgment.
- will be wounded (וַיְהִי֮ מַכֹּתָ֫ם, wayhiy makkōṯām): Literally "and their blows/wounds will come/be upon them" or "their wound will happen." The Hebrew noun מַכָּה (makkah) denotes a "blow," "strike," or "plague," signifying a decisive defeat or debilitating injury. This passive or reflexive construction emphasizes that the effect of God's arrow is guaranteed and will manifest directly on them. It suggests the inevitable consequences of divine wrath.
Psalm 64 7 Bonus section
The profound parallelism in Psalm 64 reveals a divine irony. The enemies prepare their "arrows" of bitter words and set "secret" snares (Ps 64:3-4). In response, God Himself "shoots" an "arrow" "suddenly." This exact mirroring underscores that God not only defeats their plots but uses similar means—unexpected, precise blows—but with divine righteousness and omnipotent power, ensuring their own methods become their downfall. This perfectly aligns with Psalm 64:8, where it is stated that their "own tongue" (their words of mischief) causes their stumble, illustrating how God's judgment often uses their very sins to ensnare them, embodying the truth that "whatever one sows, that will he also reap." The effectiveness of God's "arrow" often manifests as self-inflicted wounds or unforeseen consequences of their unrighteous actions, leaving observers to acknowledge God’s just hand.
Psalm 64 7 Commentary
Psalm 64:7 masterfully reverses the narrative of human wickedness into divine triumph. After depicting the wicked crafting their "bitter words" and setting secret traps with deadly precision (v. 2-6), this verse announces God's immediate, equally precise, and superior counterattack. The "arrow" symbolizes divine judgment—not just metaphorically, but as an active, personal intervention from God that hits its target precisely and suddenly. This is a divine reversal, an application of lex talionis (law of retaliation) where the surprise they planned for the righteous is executed against them by a far greater power. Their internal plotting leads to an external, unforeseen blow from heaven itself. The brevity and force of the verse assure believers that no evil plan, however clandestine, can escape the righteous scrutiny and swift retribution of Almighty God. The suddenness ensures their surprise and highlights the unexpected ways divine justice manifests, often through circumstances the wicked themselves initiate or provoke. This serves as a warning to evildoers and a profound comfort to the persecuted.