God’s Word Translation
Psalms 34:21
21Evil will kill wicked people, and those who hate righteous people will be condemned.
Psalms 34:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
- New International Version (NIV)Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
Context of Psalms 34:21
19The righteous person has many troubles, but the Lord rescues him from all of them. 20The Lord guards all of his bones. Not one of them is broken. Evil will kill wicked people, and those who hate righteous people will be condemned. 22The Lord protects the souls of his servants. All who take refuge in him will never be condemned.
Read all of Psalms 34Psalms 34:21 word by word
תְּמוֹתֵ֣ת רָשָׁ֣ע רָעָ֑ה וְשֹׂנְאֵ֖י צַדִּ֣יק יֶאְשָֽׁמוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 34:21
- Psalms 37:30The mouth of the righteous person reflects on wisdom. His tongue speaks what is fair.
- Psalms 94:23He has turned their own wickedness against them. He will destroy them because of their sins. The Lord our God will destroy them.
- Isaiah 3:11How horrible it will be for the wicked! Disaster will strike them. What they have done will be done to them.
- Psalms 37:12The wicked person plots against a righteous one and grits his teeth at him.
- Psalms 40:15Let those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!” be stunned by their own shame.
- Psalms 89:23I will crush his enemies in front of him and defeat those who hate him.
- 1 Samuel 19:4So Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul. “You should not commit a sin against your servant David,” he said. “He hasn’t sinned against you. Instead, he has done some very fine things for you:
- 1 Samuel 31:4Saul told his armorbearer, “Draw your sword! Stab me, or these godless men will come, stab me, and make fun of me.” But his armorbearer refused because he was terrified. So Saul took the sword and fell on it.
- 1 Kings 22:8The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, “We can ask the Lord through Micaiah, son of Imlah, but I hate him. He doesn’t prophesy anything good about me, only evil.” Jehoshaphat answered, “The king must not say that.”
- Luke 19:14“The citizens of his own country hated him. They sent representatives to follow him and say ⌞to the person who was going to appoint him⌟, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’
- Luke 19:41When he came closer and saw the city, he began to cry.
- John 7:7The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I say that what everyone does is evil.
- John 15:18“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me before it hated you.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:15who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and who have persecuted us severely. They are displeasing to God. They are enemies of the whole human race
- 2 Thessalonians 1:6Certainly, it is right for God to give suffering to those who cause you to suffer.
- Exodus 20:7“Never use the name of the Lord your God carelessly. The Lord will make sure that anyone who carelessly uses his name will be punished.
Commentaries on Psalms 34:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Evil shall slay the wicked - The very thing in which they delight shall become their bane and their ruin. They that hate the righteous - All persecutors of God's people shall be followed by the chilling blast of God's displeasure in this world; and if they repent not, shall perish everlastingly.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Evil shall slay the wicked - That is, his own wicked conduct will be the cause of his destruction. His ruin is not arbitrary, or the mere result of a divine appointment; it is caused by sin, and is the regular and natural consequence of guilt. In the destruction of the sinner, there will not be any one thing which cannot be explained by the supposition that it is the regular effect of sin, or what sin is, in its own nature, suited to produce. The one will…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. 19-22The godly might suffer, but the Lord will reward them in the end. Similarly, the wicked might prosper for a time, but ultimately they will perish (Psalms 1:6; 34:15–16).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 21-2221-22. Contrast in the destiny of righteous and wicked; the former shall be delivered and never come into condemnation (Joh 5:24; Ro 8:1); the latter are left under condemnation and desolate.Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 34:21
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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