New International Version
Psalms 120:4
4He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom bush.
Psalms 120:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.
- English Standard Version (ESV)A warrior's sharp arrows, with glowing coals of the broom tree!
- New King James Version (NKJV)Sharp arrows of the warrior, With coals of the broom tree!
- New Living Translation (NLT)You will be pierced with sharp arrows and burned with glowing coals.
Context of Psalms 120:4
2Save me, Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues. 3What will he do to you, and what more besides, you deceitful tongue? He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom bush. 5Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek, that I live among the tents of Kedar! 6Too long have I lived among those who hate peace.
Read all of Psalms 120Psalms 120:4 word by word
חִצֵּ֣י גִבּ֣וֹר שְׁנוּנִ֑ים עִ֝֗ם גַּחֲלֵ֥י רְתָמִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 120:4
- Psalms 57:4I am in the midst of lions; I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts— men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.
- Psalms 59:7See what they spew from their mouths— the words from their lips are sharp as swords, and they think, “Who can hear us?”
- Proverbs 11:9With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape.
- Proverbs 16:27A scoundrel plots evil, and on their lips it is like a scorching fire.
- Proverbs 18:8The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.
- James 3:5Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.
- Psalms 7:13He has prepared his deadly weapons; he makes ready his flaming arrows.
- Psalms 52:5Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living.
- Psalms 140:9Those who surround me proudly rear their heads; may the mischief of their lips engulf them.
- Deuteronomy 32:23“I will heap calamities on them and spend my arrows against them.
- Proverbs 12:22The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.
- Proverbs 19:5A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free.
- Revelation 21:8But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Commentaries on Psalms 120:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Sharp arrows - The Chaldee has, "The strong, sharp arrows are like lightning from above, with coals of juniper kindled in hell beneath." On the juniper, see the note on Job 30:4, where this passage is explained. Fiery arrows, or arrows wrapped about with inflamed combustibles, were formerly used in sieges to set the places on fire. See my notes on Ephesians 6:16; (note).Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Sharp arrows of the mighty - This is an answer to the question in Psalm 120:3. The consequence - the effect - of such a use of the tongue must be like sharp and piercing arrows, or like intensely burning coals. The “sharp arrows of the mighty” are the arrows of the warrior - as war was conducted mainly by bows and arrows. Those arrows were, of course, sharpened to make them piercing, penetrating, more deadly. With coals of juniper - On the word here…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4The psalmist speaks with the liars around him. He feels confident that the Lord will judge them. The Divine Warrior (see Psalms 7:12–13; 11:4–6) will attack the liars with sharp arrows and burning coals.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. Sharp arrows of the mighty--destructive inflictions. coals of juniper--which retain heat long. This verse may be read as a description of the wicked, but better as their punishment, in reply to the question of Psa 120:3.Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 120:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 120
- 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
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