Bible Strands
Psalms 56:7
In spite of such sin, will they escape? In Your anger, O God, cast down the nations.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist speaks to God immediately after describing enemies who conspire and lurk to take his life. He asks whether their wickedness will allow them to escape before demanding divine judgment.
The words — אָוֶן ('A.ven) translates as "wickedness" and פַּלֶּט (pa.let) means "deliver" or "escape." The phrase directly asks whether sin will permit the conspirators to escape punishment.
The thread — The pattern of God bringing down violent plotters appears in Psalms 55:23 and Psalms 36:12, where evildoers are cast into destruction and cannot rise. It aligns with the plea for divine confusion of hostile speech in Psalms 55:9.
Why it lands — It requires the reader to acknowledge that human conspiracy cannot circumvent divine judgment and to cease relying on personal retaliation. The text demands immediate trust that God alone will execute justice against the wicked.
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
Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God.
Cross-references
- 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.
- Psalms 36:12 There the evildoers lie fallen, thrown down and unable to rise.
- Psalms 55:9 O Lord, confuse and confound their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city.
- Psalms 55:15 Let death seize them by surprise; let them go down to Sheol alive, for evil is with them in their homes.
- Psalms 94:20 Can a corrupt throne be Your ally—one devising mischief by decree?
- Ecclesiastes 8:8 As no man has power over the wind to contain it, so no one has authority over his day of death. As no one can be discharged in wartime, so wickedness will not release those who practice it.
- Isaiah 28:15 For you said, “We have made a covenant with death; we have fashioned an agreement with Sheol. When the overwhelming scourge passes through it will not touch us, because we have made lies our refuge and falsehood our hiding place.”
- Jeremiah 7:10 and then come and stand before Me in this house, which bears My Name, and say, ‘We are delivered, so we can continue with all these abominations’?
- Jeremiah 10:25 Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge You, and on the families that do not call on Your name. For they have devoured Jacob; they have consumed him and finished him off; they have devastated his homeland.
- Jeremiah 18:19 Attend to me, O LORD. Hear what my accusers are saying!