Bible Strands
Psalms 149:7
to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples,
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses the covenant community during a liturgical call to praise, shifting from worship to the community's role in executing divine judgment.
The words — נְקָמָה (neqāmāh) = vengeance, and תּוֹכֵחֹת (tōkēḥōt) = punishments, form the core action phrase describing what the saints are to carry out.
The thread — The action of inflicting vengeance and punishment on nations and peoples continues in Psalms 149:8 with binding kings and nobles, and aligns with the judicial themes in Revelation 19:11.
Why it lands — The text commands readers to participate in God's judgment against hostile nations, requiring immediate obedience to the sword imagery introduced in the preceding verse.
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
To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;
Cross-references
- Zechariah 14:17 And should any of the families of the earth not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, then the rain will not fall on them.
- 1 Samuel 15:2 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘I witnessed what the Amalekites did to the Israelites when they opposed them on their way up from Egypt.
- Revelation 19:11 Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war.
- Numbers 31:2 “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”
- Judges 5:23 ‘Curse Meroz,’ says the angel of the LORD. ‘Bitterly curse her inhabitants; for they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’
- 1 Samuel 15:18 and sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and devote to destruction the sinful Amalekites. Fight against them until you have wiped them out.’
- Psalms 137:8 O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, blessed is he who repays you as you have done to us.
- Zechariah 9:13 For I will bend Judah as My bow and fit it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against the sons of Greece. I will make you like the sword of a mighty man.