Psalm 94 16

Psalm 94:16 kjv

Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?

Psalm 94:16 nkjv

Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?

Psalm 94:16 niv

Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?

Psalm 94:16 esv

Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers?

Psalm 94:16 nlt

Who will protect me from the wicked?
Who will stand up for me against evildoers?

Psalm 94 verses

Psalm 94 16 Meaning

Psalm 94:16 is a rhetorical cry, a poignant double question born out of a profound sense of helplessness and isolation in the face of widespread wickedness. It expresses the psalmist's urgent desire and fervent plea for a mighty and resolute deliverer or advocate to intervene on their behalf against powerful oppressors. This question implicitly directs the reader to God as the only one capable and willing to "rise up" and "stand up" against injustice, highlighting the insufficiency of human strength or justice systems.

Psalm 94 16 Context

Psalm 94 is a profound communal lament combined with an imprecatory prayer and a declaration of divine sovereignty and justice. It opens with an impassioned plea for the "God of vengeance" to reveal Himself and act against wicked oppressors (vv. 1-2) who boast in their iniquity, crushing the poor and murdering the vulnerable (vv. 3-7). These wicked individuals dismiss God's awareness and authority, believing they act with impunity. The psalmist then challenges their foolishness, affirming God's omniscience as the Creator and Judge of all mankind (vv. 8-11). It is within this context of apparent human failure and widespread injustice that verse 16 appears as a desperate rhetorical question, highlighting the utter lack of human help and paving the way for the psalmist's conviction that only the LORD will indeed rise up and be his helper (vv. 17-23). The historical setting often implies times of internal social decay or external oppression where righteous rule is absent or ineffective.

Psalm 94 16 Word analysis

• Who will rise up (מִי יָקוּם - mi yaqum):
  • מִי (mi): Interrogative pronoun "Who?", expressing a desperate rhetorical question that seeks not merely identification but decisive action.
  • יָקוּם (yaqum): From the root קוּם (qum), meaning "to rise, stand up, arise, be established." It signifies an active, dynamic movement, often associated with a display of strength, authority, or decisive action. In biblical context, God "rising" often precedes a powerful act of judgment or deliverance.
• for me (לִי - li):
  • לִי (li): The preposition לְ (lᵊ - "to, for") with the first person singular pronominal suffix. It highlights the deeply personal nature of the plea; the psalmist feels personally targeted or isolated in the struggle, emphasizing their vulnerability.
• against the wicked (עַל רְשָׁעִים - al rasha'im):
  • עַל (al): Preposition "against, upon, over." It denotes opposition and confrontation.
  • רְשָׁעִים (rasha'im): Plural of רָשָׁע (rasha), referring to "wicked ones, guilty ones, evildoers." In the biblical context, rasha' describes those who violate divine law, often causing suffering to the righteous and operating with arrogant self-will.
• Who will stand up (מִי יִתְיַצֵּב - mi yityatztsev):
  • מִי (mi): Reiterates the "Who?", reinforcing the profound yearning for an advocate.
  • יִתְיַצֵּב (yityatztsev): From the root יָצַב (yatsav) in the Hithpael stem, meaning "to stand firm, take one's stand, present oneself, establish oneself." This word conveys a sense of determined, unwavering presence and readiness for battle or defense, paralleling and intensifying the notion of "rising up." It suggests not just initial action but sustained opposition.
• for me (לִי - li):
  • Repetition of the phrase underscores the deep personal distress and urgent need for individual defense.
• against evildoers (אֶל פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן - el po'aley aven):
  • אֶל (el): Preposition "to, toward, against." Similar to al, it expresses confrontational movement.
  • פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן (po'aley aven): Literally "workers of iniquity" or "those who practice trouble/wickedness."
    • פֹּעֲלֵי (po'aley): From the root פָּעַל (pa'al), meaning "to work, make, do, perform." It implies consistent, deliberate action.
    • אָוֶן (aven): Means "iniquity, wickedness, trouble, sorrow, calamity, idolatry." It denotes something empty, worthless, causing ruin, or being morally wrong. This phrase describes individuals whose very actions are rooted in malice and cause destruction or perversion.

Words-group analysis:

• "Who will rise up for me... Who will stand up for me": This poetic parallelism, employing slightly different but complementary verbs, intensifies the cry of the psalmist. It expresses a feeling of utter abandonment and a desperate plea for an agent—human or divine—to take a decisive, steadfast, and proactive stand. It moves from a general rising to a determined stance, reflecting the deep and persistent nature of the threat. The repetition highlights the urgency and isolation of the one seeking help.
• "against the wicked... against evildoers": This also serves as a parallelism, describing the opponents from two complementary angles. "The wicked" (rasha'im) focuses on their character and moral guilt before God's law, while "evildoers" (po'aley aven) emphasizes their destructive actions and the harm they inflict. Together, they paint a comprehensive picture of malicious and persistent opposition that leaves the righteous vulnerable.

Psalm 94 16 Bonus section

The structure of Psalm 94, moving from a desperate cry (vv. 1-2) and lament over the wicked's impunity (vv. 3-7) to teaching about God's knowledge (vv. 8-11) and blessing of the disciplined (vv. 12-15), makes verse 16 a critical turning point. It is the immediate predecessor to the psalmist's resolute declaration of trust in the LORD as the only true helper (v. 17). This indicates that the rhetorical questions are not an expression of ultimate doubt, but a deeply felt spiritual interrogation that resolves in firm faith. It implicitly condemns the passivity of those who should administer justice on earth but fail to do so, while simultaneously elevating God as the supreme and ever-active Judge. The expectation is for a divine "standing up," demonstrating that human authority, however legitimate, can never replace or bypass God's ultimate role as vindicator and deliverer for His people.

Psalm 94 16 Commentary

Psalm 94:16 encapsulates a pivotal moment in the psalmist's prayer: the realization of complete human inadequacy in confronting pervasive evil. The rhetorical questions, "Who will rise up for me... Who will stand up for me," are not seeking a human volunteer, but rather serve to emphasize the stark absence of earthly justice and the failure of human institutions to protect the innocent. This serves as a rhetorical device to turn the focus fully towards God as the only one mighty enough, and righteous enough, to intervene decisively. The use of parallel phrasing—"rise up" (active appearance and challenge) and "stand up" (firm, unwavering opposition)—amplifies the desired intervention from God. Similarly, "the wicked" and "evildoers" stress the deep-seated nature of the oppression, covering both character and conduct. Ultimately, this verse functions as a catalyst, shifting the lament from observation of injustice to a confident declaration in subsequent verses that the LORD is indeed the helper and defender, affirming that divine intervention is not only desired but necessary and inevitable. The cry represents every believer's moment of profound helplessness when human systems fail, compelling them to cast their reliance entirely upon God's sovereign justice.