God’s Word Translation
Psalms 7:16
16His mischief lands back on his own head. His violence comes down on top of him.
Psalms 7:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.
- New International Version (NIV)The trouble they cause recoils on them; their violence comes down on their own heads.
- English Standard Version (ESV)His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends.
- New King James Version (NKJV)His trouble shall return upon his own head, And his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown.
Context of Psalms 7:16
14See how that person conceives evil, is pregnant with harm, and gives birth to lies. 15He digs a pit and shovels it out. Then he falls into the hole that he made ⌞for others⌟. His mischief lands back on his own head. His violence comes down on top of him. 17I will give thanks to the Lord for his righteousness. I will make music to praise the name of the Lord Most High.
Read all of Psalms 7Psalms 7:16 word by word
יָשׁ֣וּב עֲמָל֣וֹ בְרֹאשׁ֑וֹ וְעַ֥ל קָ֝דְקֳד֗וֹ חֲמָס֥וֹ יֵרֵֽד׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 7:16
- Psalms 36:4He invents trouble while lying on his bed and chooses to go the wrong direction. He does not reject evil.
- Psalms 37:12The wicked person plots against a righteous one and grits his teeth at him.
- 1 Samuel 23:9When David learned that Saul was planning to harm him, he told the priest Abiathar, “Bring the ephod.”
- 1 Samuel 24:12May the Lord decide between you and me. May the Lord take revenge on you for what you did to me. However, I will not lay a hand on you.
- 1 Samuel 26:10I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives,” David added, “the Lord will strike him. Either his time will come when he’ll die ⌞naturally⌟, or he’ll go into battle and be swept away.
- 1 Samuel 28:19For the same reasons the Lord will hand you and Israel over to the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. And then the Lord will hand Israel’s army over to the Philistines.”
- 1 Samuel 31:3The heaviest fighting was against Saul. When the archers got him in their range, he was badly wounded by them.
- 1 Kings 2:32The Lord will repay him for the slaughter he caused. Joab killed two honorable men who were better than he was. He used his sword to kill Abner (who was the son of Ner and the commander of Israel’s army) and Amasa (who was the son of Jether and the commander of Judah’s army). Joab did this without my father’s knowledge.
- Esther 9:25But when this came to the king’s attention, he ordered, in the well-known letter, that the evil plan Haman had plotted against the Jews should turn back on his own head. As a result, they hung Haman and his sons on poles.
- Malachi 2:3“I’m going to punish your descendants. I’m going to spread excrement on your faces, the excrement from your festival sacrifices. You will be discarded with it.
Commentaries on Psalms 7:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Shall come down upon his own pate - Upon his scalp, קדקד kodkod, the top of the head. It may refer to knocking the criminal on the head, in order to deprive him of life. Had scalping been known in those days, I should have thought the reference might be to that barbarous custom.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16His mischief - The mischief which he had designed for others. Shall return upon his own head - Shall come upon himself. The blow which he aimed at others shall recoil on himself. This is but stating in another form the sentiment which had been expressed in the two previous verses. The language used here has something of a proverbial cast, and perhaps was common in the time of the writer to express this idea. And his violent dealing - Which he shows to…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-17Verses 10-17 David is confident that he shall find God his powerful Saviour. The destruction of sinners may be prevented by their conversion; for it is threatened, If he turn not from his evil way, let him expect it will be his ruin. But amidst the threatenings of wrath, we have a gracious offer of mercy. God gives sinners warning of their danger, and space to repent, and prevent it. He is slow to punish, and long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-17This psalm includes the following: A lament (Psalm 7:1–2): The psalmist cries out to God for help and protection from enemies. An oath of innocence (Psalm 7:3–5): The psalmist declares that he has done no wrong and maintains his integrity. A call for God's justice (Psalm 7:6–9): He asks God to act against evildoers and defend the righteous. An affirmation of God’s just kingship (Psalm 7:10–16): The psalmist praises God as a fair judge who rules the world…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-1615-16. 1Sa 18:17; 31:2 illustrate the statement whether alluded to or not. These verses are expository of Psa 7:14, showing how the devices of the wicked end in disappointment, falsifying their expectations.Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 7:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 7
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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