Psalm 94:5 kjv
They break in pieces thy people, O LORD, and afflict thine heritage.
Psalm 94:5 nkjv
They break in pieces Your people, O LORD, And afflict Your heritage.
Psalm 94:5 niv
They crush your people, LORD; they oppress your inheritance.
Psalm 94:5 esv
They crush your people, O LORD, and afflict your heritage.
Psalm 94:5 nlt
They crush your people, LORD,
hurting those you claim as your own.
Psalm 94 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 19:5-6 | Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice... you shall be to me a peculiar treasure... | God calls Israel His treasured possession. |
| Deut 4:20 | ...the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of His own inheritance... | Israel is explicitly called God's inheritance. |
| Deut 9:26, 29 | O LORD God, destroy not Thy people, and Thine inheritance... they are thy people, and thine inheritance... | Moses pleads based on Israel's status as God's. |
| 1 Sam 12:22 | For the LORD will not forsake His people for His great name's sake... | God's faithfulness to His people is sure. |
| 1 Kgs 8:51 | ...for they are Thy people, and Thine inheritance, which Thou broughtest forth out of Egypt... | Solomon acknowledges Israel's status in prayer. |
| Psa 33:12 | Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance. | God's people are His chosen inheritance. |
| Psa 10:18 | ...to do justice to the orphan and the oppressed, so that man of earth may terrify no more. | God champions justice for the oppressed. |
| Psa 12:5 | "Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, now I will arise..." | God intervenes on behalf of the afflicted. |
| Psa 74:18 | Remember this, O LORD, that the enemy has reviled... a foolish people has spurned Your name. | Enemies blaspheme God through oppressing His people. |
| Isa 3:12 | My people, their oppressors are children, and women rule over them. O My people, your leaders lead you astray... | Oppressors within God's people causing harm. |
| Isa 58:6 | Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke...? | God's desire for liberation of the oppressed. |
| Amos 8:4-6 | Hear this, you who trample the needy, to do away with the poor of the land... | Warning against oppressing the poor/needy. |
| Acts 7:19 | He dealt shrewdly with our race, and forced our fathers to expose their infants, so that they would not be kept alive. | Historical example of Pharaoh's oppression of Israel. |
| Matt 25:40 | And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers...’ | Jesus identifies Himself with the oppressed. |
| Eph 1:11 | ...we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things... | Believers in Christ inherit spiritual blessings. |
| Eph 1:14 | ...who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory. | Holy Spirit as the guarantee of the believers' inheritance. |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession... | New Testament applies "God's possession" to the church. |
| Ex 2:23-25 | ...their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God... And God heard their groaning... | God hears the cries of His oppressed people. |
| Ex 3:7 | Then the LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people... I have heard their cry..." | God sees and hears the affliction of His people. |
| Rom 12:19 | Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. | God is the ultimate avenger for injustices. |
| Heb 10:30 | For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” | Assurance of God's final judgment and recompense. |
| Rev 13:7 | Also it was allowed him to make war on the saints and to conquer them... | Future tribulation and oppression of God's people. |
Psalm 94 verses
Psalm 94 5 Meaning
Psalm 94:5 describes the grave actions of the wicked, asserting that "they crush your people, O LORD; they oppress your inheritance." This verse is a poignant lament to God, highlighting the severe mistreatment endured by His chosen people at the hands of unrighteous adversaries. It emphasizes that these oppressive acts are not merely against human beings, but are an assault upon those whom God has personally claimed and cherishes as His own peculiar possession and heritage. The two parallel clauses amplify the severity of the affliction and underscore the covenantal relationship between God and His people, revealing the blasphemous nature of such oppression.
Psalm 94 5 Context
Psalm 94 is a fervent prayer and a lament addressed to the LORD, often described as a prophetic imprecation. The psalmist appeals to God, the "God of vengeance" (v. 1), to rise up and judge the proud and arrogant who afflict the righteous. The chapter opens with a call for divine retribution against those who commit injustice and boast in their wickedness. Verses 3-7 describe the audacity and contempt of these oppressors, who believe that God does not see or know their evil deeds. Verse 5 fits squarely into this description, specifying what these wicked individuals are doing: crushing God's "people" and "inheritance." It underlines the egregious nature of their actions, highlighting that they are not simply harming anonymous individuals, but directly attacking God's most cherished possessions. The psalm moves from lament to assurance, reminding both the wicked and the suffering that God is just and will ultimately repay (v. 23). Historically, the "people" and "inheritance" primarily refer to the nation of Israel, God's chosen covenant community, often suffering under foreign dominion or internal corruption. The imagery evokes their experiences of bondage and persecution, most notably their oppression in Egypt.
Psalm 94 5 Word analysis
They: Though not explicitly stated as a separate word in the Hebrew text (it's embedded in the verb's inflection), this refers to the ungodly, boastful, and arrogant evildoers mentioned throughout Psalm 94, specifically in verses 3-7, who act as if God is unaware or unconcerned with their actions.
crush (יְדַכְּאוּן - yedakke'un): Derived from the Hebrew root dākā (דָּכָא), meaning "to crush," "to bruise," "to break in pieces," or "to oppress severely." It denotes extreme force and a breaking down, whether physically, spiritually, or emotionally. This is not mere inconvenience but a deliberate and devastating assault.
your people (עַמְּךָ - ‘am·m’khā): Literally "Your people." ‘Am (עַם) means "people" or "nation," and the suffix -khā means "your." This term underscores the exclusive relationship between God and Israel as His covenant nation, chosen and set apart. It’s a term of endearment and divine possession, implying a sacred trust.
O LORD (יְהוָה - YHWH): The divine tetragrammaton, the sacred, personal covenant name of God, revealing His self-existent nature and His faithfulness to His promises. The psalmist's direct address highlights God's unique authority, power, and His specific commitment to His people, making the oppression an offense against His very person.
they oppress (יְעַנּוּ - ye‘annu): Derived from the Hebrew root ‘ānāh (עָנָה), meaning "to afflict," "to humble," "to bring low," "to treat harshly." This term frequently appears in contexts describing the enslavement and severe labor imposed upon the Israelites in Egypt (Exodus 1:11, 1:12, 3:7), evoking a deep history of suffering and injustice. It implies reducing someone's status or making them suffer grievously.
your inheritance (וְנַחֲלָתְךָ - wə·naḥă·lā·ṯə·khā): "And your inheritance." Naḥālāh (נַחֲלָה) refers to an inheritance, possession, or heritage, something dearly owned or treasured. In the context of Israel, it refers not only to the Promised Land but also, crucially, to the people themselves as God’s treasured portion, chosen out of all nations (Deuteronomy 32:9). This parallel further solidifies the intimate and precious relationship God has with His chosen ones, viewing their persecution as a direct attack on His own property.
"crush your people" & "oppress your inheritance": This is an example of synonymous parallelism, common in Hebrew poetry, where the second line rephrases or intensifies the thought of the first. "Crush" and "oppress" are both strong verbs of affliction. "Your people" and "your inheritance" both refer to the same entity—Israel. This repetition amplifies the severity and audacious nature of the attacks, underscoring that these acts are committed against God’s most cherished possessions, implying that God’s honor is directly challenged.
Psalm 94 5 Bonus section
The specific choice of the verbs daka ("crush") and anah ("oppress") is highly significant. Daka suggests a brutal, often violent breaking, while anah denotes reducing someone's spirit or status, implying humiliation and continuous affliction, reminiscent of slave labor. The dual attack "your people" and "your inheritance" reinforces the deeply personal nature of the suffering from God's perspective. It highlights that the wicked, in their blind arrogance, fail to understand that they are warring against the Divine Will by afflicting those who are uniquely connected to Him. This psalm's cries resonate throughout the Bible, finding echo in the tribulations of the early Christian church (e.g., Acts and Revelation), who were likewise persecuted for being "God's people" and "God's inheritance" in Christ (1 Peter 2:9).
Psalm 94 5 Commentary
Psalm 94:5 articulates the painful reality faced by the righteous when the wicked appear to triumph and inflict severe harm upon them. The language used, "crush" and "oppress," signifies not just minor grievances but deep, persistent, and soul-destroying affliction. The reference to "your people, O LORD" and "your inheritance" elevates the transgression from mere human injustice to a direct assault on the Almighty. When God’s people are crushed, it is an affront to His sovereign ownership and His covenant faithfulness. This verse serves as a reminder to those suffering that their trials are known to God and that He considers any attack on them an attack on Himself, implicitly calling for His divine intervention and justice. The historical context of Israel’s repeated oppressions, from Egyptian bondage to Assyrian and Babylonian exiles, imbues these words with centuries of profound national suffering, yet also with a bedrock of hope in God’s eventual vindication.