Bible Strands
Psalms 101:8
Every morning I will remove all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off every evildoer from the city of the LORD.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The psalmist, speaking as a ruler addressing his administration, declares a daily commitment to purge evil from his domain. This vow directly follows his preceding decree to exclude deceivers and liars from his household and presence.
The words — The phrase לַ/בְּקָרִ֗ים (la./be.ka.Rim) literally means "to the mornings," marking the recurring timeframe for action. The verb אַצְמִ֥ית ('atz.Mit) carries the decisive sense of "I will destroy" or remove those designated as wicked.
The thread — This pattern of daily judicial cleansing runs through Jeremiah 21:12, which commands administering justice every morning, and aligns with Proverbs 16:12, which grounds a stable throne in righteousness. The imagery of cutting off the wicked also appears in Psalms 75:10.
Why it lands — The text requires those in authority to execute consistent, uncompromising judgment against moral corruption. It demands that a reader identify and actively remove deceit or wickedness within their own sphere of influence.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the Lord.
Cross-references
- Psalms 75:10 “All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous will be exalted.”
- Jeremiah 21:12 O house of David, this is what the LORD says: ‘Administer justice every morning, and rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor, or My wrath will go forth like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it because of their evil deeds.
- Proverbs 16:12 Wicked behavior is detestable for kings, for a throne is established through righteousness.
- Psalms 48:8 As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of the LORD of Hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish her forever. Selah
- Proverbs 20:26 A wise king separates out the wicked and drives the threshing wheel over them.
- Revelation 22:14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates.
- Psalms 46:4 There is a river whose streams delight the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.
- Proverbs 20:8 A king who sits on a throne to judge sifts out all evil with his eyes.
- Psalms 48:2 Beautiful in loftiness, the joy of all the earth, like the peaks of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the great King.
- Hosea 9:3 They will not remain in the land of the LORD; Ephraim will return to Egypt and eat unclean food in Assyria.