Psalms 55:23

But You, O God, will bring them down to the Pit of destruction; men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days. But I will trust in You.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The psalmist speaks directly to God, contrasting His judgment on enemies with personal reliance on Him. This declaration immediately follows the command to cast burdens on the LORD who sustains the righteous.

The words — תּוֹרִדֵ֬/ם (to.ri.Dem) translates literally as "you will bring them down," describing God's action of casting the wicked into destruction. אַנְשֵׁ֤י דָמִ֣ים וּ/מִרְמָה ('an.Shei da.Mim U./mir.mah) means "men of blood and deceit," identifying the specific targets of that judgment.

The thread — The motif of the wicked dying prematurely runs through Proverbs 10:27 and Job 15:32, while God's explicit rejection of violence and falsehood is recorded in Psalms 5:6.

Why it lands — The text states that God will destroy those who practice violence and deception, while the speaker commits to trust in Him. It requires the reader to abandon self-reliance and anchor confidence in divine justice and sustenance.

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

וְאַתָּ֤הve./'a.Tahand/ you אֱלֹהִ֨ים׀'E.lo.HimO God תּוֹרִדֵ֬ם׀to.ri.De/myou will bring down/ them לִבְאֵ֬רli/v.'Erto/ [the] pit of שַׁ֗חַתSha.chat[the] pit אַנְשֵׁ֤י'an.Sheipeople of דָמִ֣יםda.Mimblood<s>וּ֭מִרְמָהU./mir.mahand/ deceit לֹא־lo'-not יֶחֱצ֣וּye.che.Tzuthey will divide in half יְמֵיהֶ֑םye.mei./Hemdays/ their וַ֝אֲנִ֗יva./'a.Niand/ I אֶבְטַח־'ev.tach-I will trustבָּֽךְ׃Ba/khin <the>/ you

King James Version

But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.

Cross-references

Proverbs 10:27 The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be cut short.
Psalms 5:6 You destroy those who tell lies; the LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.
Job 15:32 It will be paid in full before his time, and his branch will not flourish.
Psalms 7:15 He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making.
Psalms 73:18 Surely You set them on slick ground; You cast them down into ruin.
Ecclesiastes 7:17 Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?
Isaiah 38:17 Surely for my own welfare I had such great anguish; but Your love has delivered me from the pit of oblivion, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.
Matthew 27:4 “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said. “What is that to us?” they replied. “You bear the responsibility.”
2 Samuel 3:27 When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab pulled him aside into the gateway, as if to speak to him privately, and there Joab stabbed him in the stomach. So Abner died on account of the blood of Joab’s brother Asahel.
2 Samuel 20:9 “Are you well, my brother?” Joab asked Amasa. And with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him.