Psalms 68:21

Psalms 68:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.
• New International Version (NIV)Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But God will strike the heads of his enemies, the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But God will wound the head of His enemies, The hairy scalp of the one who still goes on in his trespasses.

Context of Psalms 68:21

19Blessed be the Lord, who bears our burden day by day, The God who is our salvation! Selah. 20God is to us a God of acts of salvation; And to God the Lord belong escapes from death [setting us free]. Surely God will shatter the head of His enemies, The hairy scalp of one who goes on in his guilty ways. 22The Lord said, “I will bring your enemies back from Bashan; I will bring them back from the depths of the [Red] Sea, 23That your foot may crush them in blood, That the tongue of your dogs may have its share from your enemies.”

Psalms 68:21 word by word

אַךְ־אֱלֹהִ֗ים יִמְחַץ֮ רֹ֤אשׁ אֹ֫יְבָ֥יו קָדְקֹ֥ד שֵׂעָ֑ר מִ֝תְהַלֵּ֗ךְ בַּאֲשָׁמָֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• shall woundמָחַץmâchats · to woundH4272
• the headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
• of his enemiesאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341
• the hairyשֵׂעָרώê‛âr ώa‛ar · hairH8181
• scalpקׇדְקֹדqodqôd · crownH6936
• of such an one as goeth on stillהָלַךְhâlak · to go: walkH1980
• in his trespassesאָשָׁם'âshâm · guilt (offering)H817

Cross-references for Psalms 68:21

• Psalms 110:6He will execute judgment [in overwhelming punishment] among the nations; He will fill them with corpses, He will crush the chief men over a broad country.
• Habakkuk 3:13You went forth for the salvation of Your people, For the salvation and rescue of Your anointed [people Israel]. You struck the head from the house of the wicked To lay him open from the thigh to the neck. Selah (pause, and calmly think of that).
• Mark 12:4Again he sent them another servant, and they [threw stones and] wounded him in the head, and treated him disgracefully.
• Psalms 55:23But You, O God, will bring down the wicked to the pit of destruction; Men of blood and treachery will not live out half their days. But I will [boldly and unwaveringly] trust in You.
• Psalms 68:18You have ascended on high, You have led away captive Your captives; You have received gifts among men, Even from the rebellious also, that the Lord God may dwell there.
• Psalms 7:12If a man does not repent, God will sharpen His sword; He has strung and bent His [mighty] bow and made it ready.
• Proverbs 1:24Because I called and you refused [to answer], I stretched out my hand and no one has paid attention [to my offer];
• Ezekiel 18:27Again, when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life.
• Luke 13:5I tell you, no; but unless you repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways and live changed lives], you will all likewise perish.”
• Hebrews 2:1For this reason [that is, because of God’s final revelation in His Son Jesus and because of Jesus’ superiority to the angels] we must pay much closer attention than ever to the things that we have heard, so that we do not [in any way] drift away from truth.
• Hebrews 12:25See to it that you do not refuse [to listen to] Him who is speaking [to you now]. For if those [sons of Israel] did not escape when they refused [to listen to] him who warned them on earth [revealing God’s will], how much less will we escape if we turn our backs on Him who warns from heaven?
• Revelation 2:14But I have a few things against you, because you have there some [among you] who are holding to the [corrupt] teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, [enticing them] to eat things that had been sacrificed to idols and to commit [acts of sexual] immorality.

Commentaries on Psalms 68:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21The hairy scalp - שער קדקד kodkod sear . Does this mean any thing like the Indian scalping? Or does it refer to a crest on a helmet or headcap? I suppose the latter.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21But God shall wound the head of his enemies - More properly, “God shall crush the head,” etc. The idea is that of complete destruction, - as, if the head is crushed, life becomes ex tinct. See Genesis 3:15; compare Psalm 110:6. And the hairy scalp - More literally, “the top of the hair.” The Hebrew word used here for “scalp” means the vertex, the top, the crown, as of the head, where the hair “divides itself;” and the idea is properly, “the dividing of…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-21Verses 15-21 The ascension of Christ must here be meant, and thereto it is applied, Ep 4:8. He received as the purchase of his death, the gifts needful for the conversion of sinners, and the salvation of believers. These he continually bestows, even on rebellious men, that the Lord God might dwell among them, as their Friend and Father. He gave gifts to men. Having received power to give eternal life, the Lord Jesus bestows it on as many as were given…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21God will crush the heads of His enemies: Compare Genesis 3:15.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 19-2119-21. God daily and fully supplies us. The issues or escapes from death are under His control, who is the God that saves us, and destroys His and our enemies.Read the comment

Topics related to Psalms 68:21

• Impenitence
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Ascribe
• Chief
• Drops
• Extol
• Issue
• Mighty
• Psalms
• Crown

Commentaries on Psalms 68

• 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