Bible Strands
Psalms 90:11
Who knows the power of Your anger? Your wrath matches the fear You are due.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Moses addresses God immediately after describing the brevity and sorrow of human life. The question follows a declaration that people quickly pass away and fly out of existence.
The words — The Hebrew יוֹדֵעַ (yodea, "knowing") combined with עֹז אַפֶּךָ ('oz appekha, "strength of your anger") frames the opening query. The phrase וּכְיִרָאתְךָ עֶבְרָתֶךָ (u'khir'atkha 'evrathekha, "and like your fear is your fury") directly links divine wrath to the reverence owed to God.
The thread — The theme of who can comprehend or endure divine anger recurs in Isaiah 33:14 and Nahum 1:6. Leviticus 26:24 records the specific punishment God declares for those who provoke His hostility.
Why it lands — The text states that God's fury corresponds exactly to the reverence owed to Him, which demands that readers recognize the seriousness of provoking divine anger. This requires aligning daily conduct with wisdom and accountability rather than treating human mortality as an excuse for disregard.
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
Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
Cross-references
- Leviticus 26:24 then I will act with hostility toward you, and I will strike you sevenfold for your sins.
- Isaiah 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling grips the ungodly: “Who of us can dwell with a consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting flames?”
- Nahum 1:6 Who can withstand His indignation? Who can endure His burning anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; even rocks are shattered before Him.
- Leviticus 26:18 And if after all this you will not obey Me, I will proceed to punish you sevenfold for your sins.
- Leviticus 26:21 If you walk in hostility toward Me and refuse to obey Me, I will multiply your plagues seven times, according to your sins.
- Deuteronomy 28:59 He will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary disasters, severe and lasting plagues, and terrible and chronic sicknesses.
- Deuteronomy 29:20 The LORD will never be willing to forgive him. Instead, His anger and jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse written in this book will fall upon him. The LORD will blot out his name from under heaven
- 2 Corinthians 5:11 Therefore, since we know what it means to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is clear to God, and I hope it is clear to your conscience as well.
- Revelation 6:17 For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?”
- Leviticus 26:28 then I will walk in fury against you, and I, even I, will punish you sevenfold for your sins.