Psalms 34:16

Psalms 34:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
• New International Version (NIV)but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
• New King James Version (NKJV)The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

Context of Psalms 34:16

14Turn away from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. 15The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous [those with moral courage and spiritual integrity] And His ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, To cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17When the righteous cry [for help], the Lord hears And rescues them from all their distress and troubles. 18The Lord is near to the heartbroken And He saves those who are crushed in spirit (contrite in heart, truly sorry for their sin).

Psalms 34:16 word by word

פְּנֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה בְּעֹ֣שֵׂי רָ֑ע לְהַכְרִ֖ית מֵאֶ֣רֶץ זִכְרָֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• The faceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• against them that doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
• to cut offכָּרַתkârath · to cut: eliminateH3772
• the remembranceזֵ֫כֶרzêker zeker · memorialH2143
• of them from the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776

Cross-references for Psalms 34:16

• Leviticus 17:10‘Any man from the house of Israel, or any stranger living temporarily among you, who eats any blood, against that person I shall set My face and I will cut him off from his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them].
• Leviticus 26:17I will set My face against you so that you will be struck down before your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one is pursuing you.
• Jeremiah 44:11“Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am going to set My face against you for woe—even to cut off (destroy) all Judah [from the land].
• Ezekiel 14:7For anyone of the house of Israel or among the strangers who immigrate to Israel who separates himself from Me, taking his idols into his heart, and puts right before his face the [vile] stumbling block of his wickedness and guilt, and [then] comes to the prophet to ask of Me for himself, I the Lord will answer him Myself.
• Amos 9:4And though they go into captivity before their enemies, From there I shall command the sword to kill them, And I will set My eyes against them for evil (judgment, punishment) and not for good [that is, not for correction leading to restoration].”
• Psalms 10:16The Lord is King forever and ever; The nations will perish from His land.
• Job 18:17Memory of him perishes from the earth, And he has no name on the street.
• Proverbs 10:7The memory of the righteous [person] is a [source of] blessing, But the name of the wicked will [be forgotten and] rot [like a corpse].
• Ecclesiastes 8:10So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out of the holy place [but did not thereby escape their doom], and they are [praised in spite of their evil and] soon forgotten in the city where they did such things. This too is futility (vanity, emptiness).
• Jeremiah 17:13O Lord, the hope of Israel, All who abandon You will be shamed. Those who turn away on earth will be written down, Because they have abandoned the Lord, the fountain of living waters.

Commentaries on Psalms 34:16

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16The face of the Lord - This phrase is synonymous with that in the previous verse: “The eyes of the Lord.” The meaning is, that the righteous and the wicked are alike under the eye of God; the one for protection, the other for punishment. Neither of them can escape His notice; but at all times, and in all circumstances, they are equally seen by Him. Is against them that do evil - The wicked; all that do wrong. In the former verse the statement is, that the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-22Verses 11-22 Let young persons set out in life with learning the fear of the Lord, if they desire true comfort here, and eternal happiness hereafter. Those will be most happy who begin the soonest to serve so good a Master. All aim to be happy. Surely this must look further than the present world; for man's life on earth consists but of few days, and those full of trouble. What man is he that would see the good of that where all bliss is perfect? Alas!…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-16The Lord distinguishes between wise and foolish people; he shows his concern for the wise by rescuing them from trouble (Psalm 34:15, 17–20). However, God destroys the foolish (Psalm 34:16, 21).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. face ... against--opposed to them (Le 17:10; 20:3). cut off the remembrance--utterly destroy (Psa 109:13).Read the comment

Topics related to Psalms 34:16

• Quotations and Allusions
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Abimelech
• Achish
• Affliction
• Dumb
• Fear
• Lack
• Lighten
• Nigh
• Nob
• Open

Commentaries on Psalms 34

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• The Treasury of David
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings