Bible Strands
Psalms 54:5
He will reward my enemies with evil. In Your faithfulness, destroy them.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses God immediately after affirming Him as the sustainer of his soul and just before vowing a freewill sacrifice.
The words — The Hebrew יָשִׁׁיב (ya.Shiv) literally means “may he bring back,” and הַצְמִיתֵֽם (hatz.mi.Tem) commands “destroy them.”
The thread — The petition to cut off enemies in God’s faithfulness appears in Psalms 143:12, while the appeal to His covenant loyalty echoes Psalms 89:49. The theme of divine repayment to the arrogant is declared in Psalms 31:23.
Why it lands — The text demands that the reader entrust judgment to God’s character rather than personal retaliation, positioning trust in His faithfulness as the necessary ground for worship.
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
He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: cut them off in thy truth.
Cross-references
- Psalms 143:12 And in Your loving devotion, cut off my enemies. Destroy all who afflict me, for I am Your servant.
- Psalms 89:49 Where, O Lord, is Your loving devotion of old, which You faithfully swore to David?
- Psalms 31:23 Love the LORD, all His saints. The LORD preserves the faithful, but fully repays the arrogant.
- Psalms 94:23 He will bring upon them their own iniquity and destroy them for their wickedness. The LORD our God will destroy them.
- Psalms 137:8 O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, blessed is he who repays you as you have done to us.
- 2 Timothy 4:14 Alexander the coppersmith did great harm to me. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds.
- Revelation 18:6 Give back to her as she has done to others; pay her back double for what she has done; mix her a double portion in her own cup.
- Psalms 5:8 Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; make straight Your way before me.
- Psalms 27:11 Teach me Your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path, because of my oppressors.
- Psalms 143:1 A Psalm of David. O LORD, hear my prayer. In Your faithfulness, give ear to my plea; in Your righteousness, answer me.